Canal mess a sign we need to take law more litter-ally

BY any reckoning, the stretch of the Grand Canal between Mount Street Bridge and Harold’s Cross is one of Dublin’s great gems. It’s a lovely walk at any time of year, but especially when the sun is shining.

So it was hardly surprising that hundreds of people congregated at the water’s edge over the weekend to enjoy the good weather. Sadly, it was even less of a surprise to see the disgusting mess that they left behind them. Bottles, cans, carrier bags, cardboard boxes, napkins, discarded food and God knows what else were strewn all along the canal banks.

It was a sight that can only be described as disgraceful.

Granted, there is an issue regarding an insufficient number of bins in certain parts of the capital. But the main problem here is the sheer pig-ignorance of people who should really know better.

Green Party councillor Claire Byrne, one of the volunteers who spent two hours on Saturday doing one of the regular cleanups along the canal, points out that ‘stronger awareness campaigns’ are needed. I would go further than that.

The authorities can issue on-the-spot fines of €150 for littering offences and, when there is district court conviction involved, penalties can rise to €3,000. But have you ever heard of anyone being either fined or hauled up before the judge after, say, dumping a crisp packet on the ground? No, me neither.

If there had been a team of litter wardens patrolling the canal over the weekend, that would have been as much of an ‘awareness’ campaign as is needed. After all, €150 can buy an awful lot of cider.