Illegal cross border dumping businesses are being run by “mafia style operations”, a Fianna Fáil TD has said.

Louth TD Declan Breathnach said border criminal gangs are capitalising on rising environmental costs faced by businesses and families by operating illegal landfill sites.

Speaking to Independent.ie’s Floating Voter podcast, Mr Breathnach said the illegal dumps are being operated on the north and south of the border

“We all know there is big business in waste and waste disposal. The reality is huge activity has gone on - most notably in my own community where two of the biggest landfills ever found were unearthed at huge expense to the Department of the Environment to rectify,” he said.

“The reality is criminality has moved into that area and has done for a long time. The small guy moving door to door (collecting bins) is feeding into that mafia style operation and it is a difficult one to watch,” he added.

On Brexit, the Fianna Fail TD said “too many good relationships have been made” for governments in Ireland and the UK to make a “backwards step”.

He said the people in the UK who voted to Leave the EU were “sold a pup” and a second referendum should be held.

Mr Breathnach said one of the main issue concerning voters on the North of the border was immigration before the Brexit vote.