Fined after illegal dumping incident caught on CCTV

IN TALLAGHT, a man has been convicted and fined following an illegal dumping incident that was captured on CCTV installed by South Dublin County Council.

A temporary CCTV monitoring scheme was introduced at Montpelier View, an area that has become a hotspot for environmental complaints, which led to the conviction.

The scheme was introduced by the Council’s Waste Enforcement and Licensing Section after the adoption of the Local Government Management Agency’s (LGMA) Code of Practice for the use of CCTV for the purposes of prevention, detection and prosecution of waste offences.

The cameras were first introduced to Montpelier View in July 2025 for an initial eight-week period following approval by the Chief Executive.

Montpelier View was selected for monitoring due to the high number of complaints received about illegal dumping and other environmental issues in the area over the previous 12 months.

Four days after the CCTV was installed, the cameras recorded the soon-to-be convicted litterbug entering the area in a yellow Mercedes-Benz van and stopping at the entrance to Montpelier View.

Waste was removed from the rear of the vehicle and dumped on the ground before the occupants left the scene.

An investigation by South Dublin County Council subsequently identified the registered owner of the vehicle as a man with an address at Derry Park, Crumlin. The Council invited the offender to attend an interview as part of its investigation. He failed to attend.

As a result of his absence, legal proceedings were initiated for an offence under Section 32 of the Waste Management Act 1996, as amended, relating to the facilitation of the abandonment or dumping of waste at Montpelier View on 26 July 2025.

The case was heard before Dublin Metropolitan District Court on 29 September 2026, and CCTV footage of the incident was presented in evidence to the Judge.

He was convicted of the offence, and the court imposed a fine of €1,000 and awarded legal costs of €3,115.44 to South Dublin County Council.

Following the outcome, Michael Heffernan, Senior Executive Engineer with South Dublin County Council’s Waste Enforcement and Licensing Section, welcomed the conviction.

“This case demonstrates the value of CCTV as an enforcement tool and sends a clear message that illegal dumping will not be tolerated. South Dublin County Council will continue to use all available powers and technologies to identify offenders and protect the local environment.”

The Council said it remains committed to tackling illegal dumping and pursuing enforcement action against those responsible for illegal waste activities across the county and urged members of the public to report incidents of illegal dumping through the Council’s website or customer contact services.

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