Waste company that's selling up bids to retain Laois operation

Bord na Móna wants to continue to run a waste centre near Portlaoise despite getting ready to exit the rubbish collection business in Laois.

Bord Na Móna Recycling Limited has put Laois County Council on notice of its intention to apply for Permission for development at Kyletalesha and Kyleclonhobert off the Portlaoise - Mountmellick stretch of the N80.

It says the proposed development will comprise of the continued use of the site and premises from January 1, 2026 as a waste transfer and processing facility.

It says an Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) has been prepared in respect of the proposed development, which can be inspected with the planning permission application.

The State-owned commercial business is in the process of exiting the wheelie bin and waste collection sector and has agreed a deal to sell its operations to a private operator in Kerry.

The deal, which has to be approved by the Government, has come in for criticism from the Siptu trade union because it would end any public involvement in the waste sector in Ireland.

Bord Na Móna Recycling Limited is one of the biggest waste operators in Ireland with thousands of customers in Laois alone. It also operates in Kildare, Offaly and other counties.

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) has cleared, subject to legally binding commitments, the controversial proposed acquisition by KAES Recycling Holdings Ltd, part of the KWD (Killarney Waste Disposal) Group, of Bord na Móna Recycling Ltd.

In clearing the deal, the Commission said steps had to be taken by the Kerry company to ensure there was competition in Leinster and Munster where it operated. MORE BELOW PICTURE.

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The CCPC also said that the waste business is not delivering strong outcomes for consumers in Laois and elsewhere.

KWD Group is a group of businesses owned and controlled by Seán Murphy/his family. The CCPC says Bord na Móna Recycling Limited Recycling collects and processes more than 340,000 tonnes of waste from over 133,000 customers annually.

Bord na Móna was reportedly in line to sell for €55 million. That would mean a multi-million loss to the taxpayer as Bord na Móna paid €61 million for the waste management company, formerly known as Advanced Environmental Solutions (Ireland), in 2007.