€305k spent in two years on Halloween clean-ups
Rubbish after a bonfire last year

€305k spent in two years on Halloween clean-ups

SOUTH Dublin County Council have outlined their plans to deal with illegal bonfires and to tackle the difficulties communities face this Halloween and afterwards as €305,000 has been spent on clean-ups over the past two years.

In a recent report, the council says that it “recognises the difficulties” that Halloween causes for many communities such as illegal burning of waste, damage to local amenities and the threat to property and local services.

Over the last two years, it has cost the council a total of €305,000 to clean up materials and waste associated with Halloween and bonfires – €155,000 in 2020 and €150,000 in 2019, with 283 bonfires taking place last year and 256 in 2019.

In response to recent years, this year the council are rolling out several initiatives in the lead up to Halloween and a cross departmental approach has been adopted. This approach includes utilising the services of Public Realm, Waste Enforcement, Environmental Awareness, Library Services and Housing and Community Services Departments to prevent potential damage and promote a “Safe Halloween” message.

In a bid to tackle anti-social behaviour that usually occurs at Halloween, there has been funding for community-based activities which are intended to divert children and young adults away from bonfires.

The Public Realm response to remove stockpiles of bonfire materials has commenced and will continue throughout October and will intensify as Halloween approaches over the coming weeks. The Public Realm Section will have operational staff on duty over the bank holiday weekend and the Halloween weekend collecting bonfire materials, in recent years these collections captured in the region of 250 tonnes of materials and diverted it away from bonfires.

Gardai-led Operation Tombola will also be in operation country wide, as gardai attempt to defuse potential trouble in the lead up to Halloween and to remind people of the dangers that fireworks can have as well as significant distress for those in our community, especially elderly people and those with sensory issues.

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