Residents in Kilnamanagh have put up ‘No dumping’ signs on the Ring Road after hundreds of bags were left around the estate
Over €905k spent by council on cleaning up
THE Mayor of South Dublin County has branded ongoing issues with illegal dumping in the county as “very frustrating”, while the council released figures showing €905,877 has been spent on the issue.
The total of €905,877 has been spent so far this year in relation to reported incidents of illegal dumping, compared 12-month tallies of €1,465,374 in 2021 and €1,371,243 in 2022.
Issues with dumping around the county have been previously highlighted in The Echo, in areas including the ring road at Kilnamanagh in Tallaght and Riversdale Road in Clondalkin.
Mayor Alan Edge, who regularly volunteers for community clean-ups led by groups including Dodder Action, the Litter Mugs and the Baile Boys, described illegal dumping as “a serious problem”.
“Illegal dumping is a serious problem in terms of the urban environment and in the uplands,” he told The Echo.
“It’s an ongoing issue, and I think part of the problem has been the effective prohibition of CCTV prosecutions because of the chilling effect of some cases in relation to GDPR.”
Mayor Edge said protocols are currently being devised by councils as a means of dealing with this, so CCTV can be used to catch and prosecute people who are illegally dumping waste.
He also called on people not to use the services of unlicensed people who are going door-to-door or handing out leaflets offering low prices to take away rubbish.
“People should be extremely cautious about people handing out fliers or going door-to-door,” he said.
“They should make sure they’re licensed, because otherwise it will be dumped in the uplands.”
While Mayor Edge voiced his frustration at the issue, he also praised the work of the council and local volunteers in their commitment to tackling illegal dumping and removing it.
“It’s very frustrating [that illegal dumping is happening], and I think it really does have an impact on people when they see it,” he said.
“But the reverse is also true – when you see the work of Dodder Action, the Litter Mugs, the Baile Boys or the Pure Project, people are really grateful.
“I think seeing stuff being dumped can have a negative effect, but by the same token, when you see community volunteers trying to do something to tackle it, there’s a lot of optimism.”
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