Council spent €1.3 million targeting illegal dumping
By Brendan Grehan
SOUTH Dublin County Council have spent over €1.3 million targeting illegal dumping this year. This was revealed at a Lucan area committee meeting of SDCC.
Councillor Danny O’Brien put down a question asking the “Chief Executive for a report on the total amount of illegal dumping there has been this year in the Lucan LEA and the cost to this Council of cleaning up the areas? This report will also include the total number of case’s reported to the Council in 2018.”
Illegal dumping in Clondalkin
The Council replied: “All incidents of illegal dumping reported or detected in any area is investigated by the Council’s Litter Warden Service and all dumped material is searched for evidence.
"Where evidence is found, the appropriate enforcment action is taken under the Litter Pollution Act 1997, as amended. Increasingly, it is found that no personal information relating to polluters is contained within the dumped material, with personal information having been removed or shredded.”
The Council added that it is not possible “to provide the number of complaints by electoral area, to date in 2018 (up to 30th November), the total number of complaints received is three thousand, five hundred and nine (3,509) which resulted in five hundred and seventy four (574) Fixed Penalty Notices (FPN) issued and one hundred and fifty six (156) Notices issued.”
They added “The total clean up cost of illegal dumping to date (up to 30th November) is €1,315,647.88.”
The Echo had reported earlier this year that up to August 31, SDCC had issued 457 penalty notices, 204 of which were paid in full and 37 were successfully appealed. As of August 31, the total number of FPNs issued and not paid was 257.
It is clear from these figures that there is an increase in illegal dumping during the summer months.
In July, a local Councillor was very critical of “a small minority”who dump domestic refuse along roadways and hedges in the county.
Councillor Paul Gogarty said that the great work of many residents and volunteers is being hampered by this illegal dumping.
He told The Echo: “I have raised this with the Council and am looking at best practice elsewhere to deal with the problem beyond what I have already called for (increased fines, money back bottles and cans).
“In the meantime, all offenders need to be reported and witness statements made if necessary. We can have no sympathy for the louts who dump and litter because they can.”
Cllr Gogarty said that while some have genuine financial issues, there are other solutions.
