€4 million to clean up illegal dumping in three years
By Maurice Garvey
OVER €4 million has been spent by South Dublin County Council to clean up illegal dumping in the county over the last three years, reports Maurice Garvey.
Clondalkin Sinn Fein Councillor Mark Ward, who asked for the 2015-2017 figures at last Monday’s council meeting, said the cost incurred by the “epidemic of illegal dumping" is “shocking.”
“The figures show an average of €1.3 million per year spent on removing illegal dumping across South Dublin County. This is money that could be spent on enhancing the community.”
He said there was an increase in reports of illegal dumping by 43 per cent between 2016 and 2017, and blasted the current policy on waste management and failed Government promises to deliver a bin waiver scheme.
“If we were not in the midst of the biggest housing crisis in the history of the state or our health system was not crumbling at the seams, then illegal dumping would be national news,” he said.
“Privatising waste management has created a culture of illegal dumping. You only have to take a walk around some of the litter blackspots in Clondalkin and you will see the detrimental impact that it is having on our area. Earlier this year I had a motion passed to return bin collection to council control. This motion was passed but as it’s an executive function nothing happened.”
Cllr Ward said there are also a number of unregulated waste collection services operating across the county, and believes urgent action is required to “tackle the scourge.”
