Bin collections in Dublin were the subject of considerable disruption and there were two arrests as anti-waste-charge protests continued today.
All seven bin depots in the greater Dublin area were blockaded from 7 a.m. this morning though collections from some were later able to proceed. However the delay in beginning rounds meant that full collections were not possible in most areas.
Two women aged 50 and 25, were arrested at 1.30 p.m. at the Ballymount bin depot in Walkinstown and held at Crumlin Garda station charged with public order offences. They are due in court this afternoon.
Collections from the depot began soon after the arrests.
But more than 40,000 households in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown and Dublin City Council's areas did have their waste collected today. Earlier, protesters said they would not picket the council's depot tomorrow.
Fingal County Council said this evening that 70 per cent of its scheduled collection today had been completed and the remaining 30 per cent would be done tomorrow.
South Dublin County Council said it had completed its scheduled collection for today.
The names of those protesting at the various deports were taken by gardaí and Section Nine of the Public Order Act was read out. But the only two arrests were at Ballymount.
Yesterday, bin collectors at the deport were threatened with temporary dismissal after they refused to pass the pickets. A number of workers later joined the pickets in protest at the local authority's action.
The city-wide protests have resulted in 15 protesters being sent to jail and more than 20 due to appear before the High Court over the coming days for allegedly breaching injunctions preventing the obstruction of refuse collections.
Meanwhile, the Minister for the Environment, Mr Cullen, has accused anti-bin charge protesters of "holding the capital city to ransom". Protesters have halted collections across Dublin for a second day today.
Mr Cullen claimed no more than 150 people, who were "anti-community and anti the development of Dublin", were undermining the whole waste strategy.
Speaking to reporters in Dublin today he said the protesters offered "no solutions and had no interest in the environment" and were damaging the development of a waste industry in this country.
The Minister said that while he respected the right to protest, the demonstrators could not be allowed "the interfere in the proper delivery of services".