McCann to make Mobuoy a key election issue

Illegal dumping at the City Waste side was made public in 2013.

Mr McCann, who is likely to keenly contest a sixth seat in Foyle with the lower polling Sinn Féin and SDLP candidates and possibly even, if the unionist vote is sufficiently split, the highest polling unionist candidate, says he’ll force the SDLP and Sinn Féin to deliver on their pledge to hold a public inquiry into illegal dumping in the North West, if he’s elected.

“As well as People Before Profit, community and campaigning groups - Enagh Youth Forum, Zero Waste NW, Faughan Anglers Association and Friends of the Earth among them - have consistently been calling for an inquiry to put the full truth before the people,” he said.

“What do the Executive parties have to fear from the facts being made public?” asked Mr McCann.

“In March 2014, the Assembly unanimously backed a motion stating that: ‘This Assembly recognises the issues raised in the recently broadcast BBC Spotlight investigation into illegal waste disposal and other irregularities; and calls on the Minister of the Environment to establish an independent public inquiry into waste disposal in the north-west and the rest of Northern Ireland...’”

“Both the SDLP and Sinn Féin supported this call. But two years on, no such inquiry has been set up. And neither party has come under any sustained pressure in the Assembly to do what they promised.”.

Mr McCann concluded: “That will change when People Before Profit MLAs walk into Stormont. We won’t allow environmental issues of this sort to be long-fingered any further.

“The people of Foyle and elsewhere in the North will have a voice on the matter.”