€150,000 to tackle scourge of Illegal dumping
A sum of €150,000 has been made available to Louth County Council for an anti-dumping initiative.
Senior Engineer Mark Johnston said the money would be used for such as mattress and furniture collection and an awareness campaign.
He was responding to comments from councillors at a meeting of Dundalk Municipal District about an escalation in dumping and fly-tipping.
‘It’s a big problem. There is 10% extra tonnage. We are dealing with it as best we can,’ he pointed out.
Mr Johnston added litter wardens were going through the rubbish looking for identification in order to secure fines in the courts.
The engineer continued the council would like to see the law more in its favour to allow CCTV cameras go up ‘ to nail people like we did before’. That was prohibited but the law in that regard might change later this year.
Cllr Edel Corrigan said everyone was experiencing the effects of illegal dumping.
She told of particular problems in the Faughart area following a ‘massive spring clean’ which had the wardens out on three occasions.
‘It is one of many areas facing this problem.
The situation is not improving on the ground.
‘How do we address this? What we are doing is not working.’
Cllr Corrigan forecast there would be a ‘ bigger surge’ (of dumping) in the coming months.
Cllr Seán Kelly said people were throwing rubbish over the gate of a secured alleyway in Castleross.
He asked could the area be checked regularly because there would be a rodent issue if the dumping continued.
Cllr Kelly added that overgrown trees and shrubbery in Marian Park encouraged dumping in the area. Rubbish had been cleared.
Disappointment was expressed by Cllr Liam Reilly that Louth County Council did not promote the National Spring Clean unlike their counterparts in Limerick.
He was also disappointed he couldn’t receive bags. Nevertheless, he and others had collected 60 bags of rubbish.
The Fianna Fáil representative added fly-tipping and littering had increased during the pandemic, especially in 2021.
He congratulated the litter wardens on the work they were doing.
Cllr Reilly noted that Roscommon County Council was still operating CCTV cameras.