Demand for some ‘imaginative thinking’ to tackle dumping
By Mary Dennehy
DODDER Action volunteers filled 36 bags with rubbish retrieved from the waters and banks of the Whitestown Stream last weekend.
In recent months a number of volunteers have been trawling through the waters of Whitestown Stream, the Poddle and the Dodder – removing tonnes of waste from the wildlife corridor.
Dodder Action volunteers, and Deputy Sean Crowe, after last weekend’s Whitestown Stream clean-up
Earlier this month, Dodder Action volunteers hauled 40 bags of rubbish, along with bikes, a coffee table and a garden gate, from the stretch of the Dodder as it flows through Cherryfield, off the Firhouse Road.
In Dodder Valley Park on Saturday, July 13, the Dodder Valley Litter Mugs removed 30 bags of waste from the Dodder as it meanders through the Tallaght park, with mattresses, couches and motorbike parts also collected.
The most recent clean-up by Dodder Action was held last Saturday, July 20, and focused on the stretch of Whitestown stream as it flows through Killinarden Park.
Alongside filling 36 bags with rubbish, volunteers hauled two roadwork barriers, a car tyre, electronic waste, shoes, clothes, a pram, timber, one bicycle and a go-cart from the stream.
Used nappies and rotted food were also removed, with broken glass cleared from open grassed areas.
A number of burnt trees were also noted by volunteers.
A Dodder Action volunteer looks on at one of the burnt trees in the park
According to Firhouse resident and Dodder Action volunteer Wladek Gaj: “A decision was taken to display placards highlighting the plight of our local environment and specifically Killinarden Park on this occasion.
“The ‘revolving door’ of clean-ups is intolerable.
“Citizens of South Dublin County require local government to govern, lead and apply imaginative thinking in relation to the continuous dumping, littering and arson afflicting public areas in South Dublin County.
“Dodder Action, Dodder Valley Litter Mugs and Tallaght Tidy Towns appeal to the concerned citizens of South Dublin County to assist in creating a clean, safe and bio-diverse environment for present and future generations.”
When contacted by The Echo, South Dublin County Council said that it acknowledges the work carried out by Dodder Action and supports this activity under the council’s Social Credit Scheme.
A spokesperson for the council said: “All incidents of illegal dumping reported or detected in any area are investigated by the council’s Litter Warden Service and dumped material is searched for evidence.
“Where evidence is found, the appropriate enforcement 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.”
According to the council, there has been an “increased targeted focus on known litter-generator areas”, alongside a “raised visibility” of the Warden Service.
A number of structured routes have been identified for continuous patrols, ad hoc patrols and investigations as required – with CCTV also used in the “prevention and detection” of offences.
Follow Dodder Action on Facebook and Twitter for further information.
