‘Lack of evidence’ stops litter fines at halting site

By Brendan Grehan

SOUTH DUBLIN County Council have issued no litter fines in respect of litter offences at the Cherryfield Traveller halting site within the last two years.

This was revealed at last week’s Rathfarnham Templeogue-Terenure Area Committee meeting of SDCC where Councillor Ronan McMahon tabled a question asking the Chief Executive “if any litter fines were issued in the last two years for litter offences at the Cherryfield Traveller Halting Site and what action the council is taking to prevent the constant litter problem along the Dodder at the Cherryfield Traveller Halting Site?”

The council replied that there were no litter fines issued in respect of litter offences at the Cherryfield Traveller Halting Site in the last 2 years.

The council added that “due to lack of evidence, unwillingness of complainants to provide witness statements, or difficulty in identifying the legal entity involved, enforcement action cannot be taken.”

They said that no personal information relating to the polluter is contained within dumped material, with personal information having been removed or shredded.

The council stated that “all reports of litter and illegal dumping are recorded on the Environmental Complaints System, where they are tracked from original complaint, through investigation to enforcement, and all incidents of illegal dumping received are searched for evidence and appropriate enforcement action taken, where possible”.

The Traveller Accomodation Unit recently advertised for tenders for a clean-up of the surrounds of three Traveller Halting Sites, one of which is Cherryfield.

The council said that a contractor has been appointed and work will commence shortly on the sites (cascading order), with Cherryfield site scheduled second.