Measures to deal with ‘toxic waste’ dumping from drug use

Measures including pruning hedges and trees to “improve visibility” will be implemented to tackle anti-social behavior and suspected drug use in Kingswood Heights.

Cllr Jess Spear (PBP-S) has urged the council to make a plan to deter “anti-social behaviour and associated toxic waste dumping” in a motion to the Tallaght Area Committee meeting on Monday, January 26.

“I said toxic waste in my motion because it’s my understanding that nitrous oxide canisters are toxic and you can’t dispose of them,” Cllr Spear said in the chamber at Monday’s meeting, saying the use of the gas was becoming a “real issue in the estate”.

“The area at the top of the green has essentially been taken over by very young drug dealers and young people using it to hang out and take drugs,” she stated.

She said that residents had to frequently call An Garda Síochána over the issue and have been “calling for action for a long time”.

“Now recently there have been fires lit, you can see the damage, and there’s also huge amounts of nitrous gas being consumed there which is extremely worrying and attracting more and more anti-social behaviour.”

In their written reply to Cllr Spear, the councils Public Realm department said litter cleared from the green space in the past “includes Nitrous Oxide canisters, drink and canister packaging, an office chair, mattress springs, a bucket, miscellaneous wood items and paper”.

“Two of the beech trees which form the hedge have been vandalized, and the resulting gap is where anti-social gatherings are taking place,” they stated, as the hedge is wider on one side and “is providing a level of cover”.

Actions proposed by Public Realm to address the issue include planting new beech trees into the gap, pruning the hedge “tighter to the wall for approximately 5meters each side of the gap to reduce the cover that it provides” and removing low branches on the trees opposite the gap to improve visibility of the location.

Cllr Spear welcomed these measures and suggested more footpath be installed on all four sides of the green space to improve passive surveillance of the site.

Senior Executive Parks and Landscape Officer Brendan Redmond, who was in the chamber noted that as “potentially a good idea” and that his department were “committed to doing what we can in terms of trying to allow that passive surveillance and to get more visibility”.

He said the sheer volume of nitrous oxide canisters that council staff are now dealing with is “a challenge” and they’re trying to “minimise the impact”.

“We’re trying to open more areas up, to add more recreational facilities and gym equipment and the whole idea there is to try to get young people to come and work with us,” Mr Redmond added, noting that while they have had some success there is “still work to be done”.

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme