Boxes of dumped tiles led councillor into taking the matter into his own hands
By Maurice Garvey
CHRONIC dumping at a Palmerstown laneway led one councillor to take decisive action.
After discovering boxes stuffed full of tiles at a Palmerstown laneway last week, independent councillor Paul Gogarty decided to remove the offending material as it was blocking the lane, and would take the council “several days”.
Dumping is an ongoing issues in the back laneways behind the Oval – between Palmerstown Avenue and Turret Road .
The lane is used as a walkway for local residents, and parents also use it to drop their kids to nearby schools in St Lorcan’s and St Brigid’s.
Gogarty packed boxes of tiles into his car and brought the material to Ballymount Civic Amenity centre, paying the €21 fee out of his own pocket.
He is appealing for anyone with information on the culprit’s identity, or if they recognise the tiles and boxes from work done in their home.
Cllr Gogarty said: “I asked the council if they recognise the distinctive green boxes. It may be a contractor who probably does five/six jobs a day. Not necessarily from the Palmerstown area, but knows the area well.
Dumping has been ongoing in the laneway for 20-30 years.”
There is no CCTV at the laneway, but this “wouldn’t be justified in a private public area”, according to Gogarty, who “broke his back” removing the tiles which were “heavier than I thought.”
He has posted photographs of the offending material on social media in an effort to identify the culprit.
Residents vented their anger in response to the photos uploaded by Cllr Gogarty – one calling for CCTV cameras and a few calling for the laneway to be gated.
Cllr Gogarty says to gate off the laneway requires every household to sign up, but cited independent councillor Gus O’Connell’s pilot scheme in other areas with a lockable bollard as a “workable option.”
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