€60,000 funding to help tackle illegal dumping

FUNDING OF €63,342 is to be provided to Wexford County Council to support its efforts to combat littering as part of the Government’s 2018 anti-dumping measures.

Drone surveys will take place in the county’s four main towns and three warden vehicles are to be equipped with dash cams in an effort to boost surveillance.

Minister Paul Kehoe welcomed the announcement and said that as part of the scheme a ‘ mattress amnesty’ will be organised in Holmestown while CCTV monitoring and clean- up work will take place in Gorey, Ramsfort Park and Trespan Rocks.

There will be 32 skips provided to Tidy Towns organisations around the county and Minister Kehoe said the funding will assist the local authority in its efforts to tackle an issue that is affecting communities all over the county.

Minister Kehoe said he and his cabinet colleague, Minister Denis Naughten, are developing measures to target people ‘who are spoiling our natural environment’.

‘A wide range of clean-up and restorative projects led by community, environmental and sporting groups have been approved for funding,’ he said.

‘ The aim is to reduce illegal dumping by providing funding for projects tackling the problem and to develop an integrated and effective combined approach with local authorities, communities and other state agencies,’ he added.

He also praised the work of community activists and committees for their hard work in keeping their areas litter-free.

He said they are integral to the overall success of the initiative: ‘While they are the victims of this crime they have demonstrated through their active participation with this initiative that they are not prepared to surrender.’