More litter wardens needed to tackle fly tipping ‘disgrace’

Sean McMahon

 

Unscrupulous fly tippers are destroying one of the most beautiful walkways in the county, along the Golden Mile, a link road off the Mullagh-Virginia Road.

They are shamelessly flinging black bin-liners out of their vehicles in the dark of the night and even, sometimes, brazenly, in daylight hours.
The latest bout of illegal dumping has led local Fianna Fáil councillor Shane P O’Reilly to call for mobile cameras to be erected and also for additional resources for the council to employ more litter wardens.
He pointed out that this scenic route was afforded the ‘Golden Mile’ accolade by Cavan County Council a couple of years ago and hundreds of people walk along that road, as it is deemed very safe for pedestrians.
“That area possibly features the most idyllic scenery in the county – it overlooks Mullagh Lake and Mullagh Hill,” he said.
Cllr O’Reilly pointed out that the latest dumping episodes feature mostly domestic waste and also include large consignments of dirty nappies.
 

‘Irresponsible’

“This irresponsible behaviour is absolutely uncalled for – it appears that, instead of using their bins and paying those charges, they are dumping their household refuse. It is now left to Cavan County Council to clean this mess up,” he remarked.
He said that it is very disheartening when people in Tidy Towns groups, development committees and community councils are doing their best to enhance towns like Mullagh.
“Everybody has to pay their bins charges and keep their environment clean. In this area, a lot of work has been done by the local Tidy Towns people and other committees to ensure Mullagh looks well,” said Cllr O’Reilly.
“It is not only an affront to the people living along the road but also to the entire community – it is an absolute disgrace. I have spoken to the Waste Enforcement Section in Cavan County Council about the matter,” he added.
Cllr O’Reilly is further calling for increased funding for local authorities to tackle illegal dumping, including the employment of more litter wardens.

More litter wardens required

Cllr O’Reilly says there is an immediate requirement for additional litter wardens in the county to travel the highways and byways to detect and pursue illegal dumpers.
The Mullagh councillor is optimistic that mobile cameras will be sited in the vicinity of this location in the near future.