Councillor Ted Tynan is calling for waste management facilities to be moved away from urban areas.
His comments come after a fire at a recycling plant in Cork last night.
No one was injured in the blaze at the commercial waste facility in Glanmire, but it took ten units to bring the fire under control.
Gardaí said the fire is not believed to be suspicious, but a technical exam will determine the course of the investigation.
Councillor Tynan said residential properties in Cork are far too close to these kind of facilities:
"Here, in Cork city, we have one on the North-Western side of the city in the area known as Churchfield, and there is a major recycling facility there within close proximity to people's homes.
"I think the nearest homes to that centre would be about 100m away, so these are serious situations and should not be happening."