Dublin's uncollected waste mountain would have risen by 50,000 bins a day, representing a serious danger to public health, if bin protests similar to that of the past two days had continued, it has emerged.
Public health authorities said yesterday they were concerned about the speed at which waste piles could increase. Environmental health officers attached to the health boards warned householders with uncollected bins to "double-bag" rubbish and keep it in dry places, away from potential damage by birds, dogs and rodents, or to bring it to a local authority landfill site.
On the second day of the bin depot blockade yesterday, up to 100,000 bins remained uncollected. Only Fingal and South Dublin county councils were able to make bin collections while the city and Dún Laoghaire remained blockaded.
Currently just one area, some 200 households in the Whitestown area of north Co Dublin remains uncollected since the protest began on September 10th - down from a figure of 800 uncollected bins last Friday.
While the Environmental Protection Agency, the health boards and the Dublin City manager, Mr John Firzgerald, said yesterday that the waste did not represent a general danger to public health in the city, the Minister for the Environment, Mr Cullen, said 150 people were "effectively holding the entire capital city to ransom".
He said the debate on refuse charges ended years ago and this issue was being rekindled "by a small few to do with the local elections next year".
"They have no interest in a solution on the environmental issues. They have no proposals with regard to the disposal of waste," Mr Cullen said.
He said the blockading of bin lorries was anti-community and was harming the development of Dublin.
"I respect anybody's right to legitimately protest but they cannot interfere in the proper delivery of services. This is a service that's seriously needed by the people in Dublin and it's going to lead to health problems if they don't desist," he said.
"The vast majority of people in this entire country want their waste collected and they are prepared to pay to do so. The last time I looked, we lived in a democracy in this country." Mr Cullen said he was not going to see that democracy undermined "by a very small few people".
While the Tánaiste, Ms Harney, warned of a "serious public health risk" if disruption continued, the Taoiseach said he would not "stand down the law" just because fewer than 150 people were blocking waste collections in a city of 1.25 million people.
Fianna Fáil backbencher Mr Conor Lenihan accused Labour leader Mr Pat Rabbitte of suggesting that the Government surrender to "a few fanatics".