Luas workers find bags of syringes, hazardous waste in Dublin

Dozens of bags containing used needles and other waste discovered during city works

Photograph: Cyril Byrne / THE IRISH TIMES
Photograph: Cyril Byrne / THE IRISH TIMES

Workers on the Luas cross city project have removed dozens of bags of bio-hazardous material including large amounts of used syringes from what was described as “one of the worst” sites it has come across in the city.

The clean-up job at a derelict area beside the forthcoming Broadstone-DIT stop on the north side has taken a number of weeks.

It is standard procedure for an environmental team to enter such areas before construction workers and engineers.

The bags contained used needles and other hazardous waste located at a site of a building which had been demolished last year and used as a location for intravenous drug use.

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“It was one of the worst areas that we have come upon but it just goes to show that the appropriate resources are being applied [to cleaning derelict areas],” a spokesman attached to the infrastructure project said.

The Broadstone-DIT stop will serve the surrounding residential population and will be a "key stop" in the future for students and staff accessing the planned DIT campus at Grangegorman, the company said.

Mark Hilliard

Mark Hilliard

Mark Hilliard is a reporter with The Irish Times