Illegal dumping frustrates local councillors

GDPR prevents the council from putting up covert CCTV cameras at present, although changes could be in the pipeline, April’s monthly meeting of Cavan County Council was told in response to a motion discussing illegal dumping.

The increasing number of incidents of illegal dumping of refuse in isolated rural areas across the county continues to be a “huge concern” said Fianna Fáil’s Áine Smith. She noted in particular incidents along roadside verges, laneways, forests, and open countryside.

“I am fully conscious that our towns and villages also have problems with people dumping litter and in many instances not even bothering to use the litter bins that are available along public streets,” she continued.

“Illegal dumping in these areas not only damages the environment and natural habitats, but also places an unfair burden on rural landowners, residents, and local authorities who are often left to deal with the clean-up.”

Expressing a belief that the council must take a tougher stance and begin a “more intense publicity programme” regarding the damage littering does, she stated: “In recent years there is more and more evidence of waste being dumped along main roads and along by-roads and also dumping into drains and fields in some instances.

“A person sees very clearly the extent of littering when volunteers collect litter along roads and we see the huge numbers of bags of litter that have been picked up. Those instances highlight the major problem that confronts society and this littering is so widespread.”

She concluded by complementing the Tidy Towns Committees, GAA Clubs and other community groups that organise the collection of litter in their own local areas.

“Their efforts and work are very commendable,” said Cllr Smith who said that pollution and waste often ends up in waterways, while dumping in fields can be damaging for livestock.

That’s before acknowledging the damage done to public amenities.

“Those public amenities have been put in place through public funding and the hard work of communities as well. Those facilities are there to be enjoyed by locals and visitors and should not be a dumping ground for some people’s waste.

“People of all age groups have raised this issue with me including school children. School children in particular highlighted household refuse being dumped in public bins along streets and villages often times resulting in overflowing bins.”

There was cross-party support for the motion.

Fine Gael’s Trevor Smith said it was often the farmers who had to cover the cost of cleaning up rubbish dumped.

Sinn Féin’s Damien Brady said he was stunned by the number of “black bags” of rubbish collected by local volunteers in the Ballyconnell area during a recent Spring Clean event. He was even more shocked by the fact that up to three quarters of what was collected was recyclable.

He suggested the council ramp up their spot-checks at houses without a registered bin, to see where and how their refuse was being disposed of.

“You pay less if you recycle more,” he reminded.

Independent Ireland’s Shane P O’Reilly added to the debate. He was on the council more than two decades now and was of the opinion that there is “only one way to deal” with fly-tippers.

He said their names and photos should be published on the “front page” of the paper. He also said that there needed to be tougher penalties imposed but the “judiciary don’t want to listen”.

“You get brought before a judge and you get off with community service.”

For drivers caught throwing rubbish out of car windows along roadsides they should receive “six points” on their licence.

He highlighted the work of Fianna Fáil TD Malcolm Byrne from Wexford who brought forward legislation to give local authorities the power to name and shame people dumping, and to recoup the costs back of people caught.

It was his belief however that there was “not the political will” to come down hard on dumpers of rubbish.

“People are getting away with it and they know they can,” said Cllr O’Reilly.

Clifford Kelly (FF) said there was a commitment in the Programme for Government, but that communities were getting more and more frustrated. “It’s a serious problem,” he said of littering.

There were people highlighting problems on social media, like in playgrounds, but the same people were “expecting someone else to clean it up”.