Bottle bank cameras left toothless by data protection legislation

Galway City Council has been left toothless to prosecute illegal dumping at one of the country’s busiest bottle bank sites – because CCTV footage might breach data protection legislation.

Despite being capable of capturing images of people disposing of household waste on the Western Distributor Road in Knocknacarra – as well as their vehicle registration plates – the Council is unable to issue fines.

Empty bottles and other glassware are also regularly left strewn along the footpath at the site when the bottles banks are full.

A spokesperson for the City Council said there is a data protection issue nationally in relation to what CCTV footage can be used for, and the matter is currently being investigated.

He could not confirm if the CCTV camera – specifically installed six years ago to combat illegal dumping – is even recording footage or being monitored at the moment.

“Based on the information we have, the matter is with our Data Protection Officer to decide on the best way to resolve the issue,” the spokesperson said.

The Council spokesperson said the recycling collection schedule for the bottle bank is for every Saturday, or more frequently if the need arises.

Figures from Rehab Glassco have shown that Galway City is the second-best recycler in the country, with 75 bottles or jars for every man, woman and child in the city in the first nine months of 2015.

The statistics also show that the Western Distributor Road is in the Top 5 busiest locations out of 11,000 bottle banks in the country.

CCTV was erected at the site in 2010 initially as a pilot scheme to combat dumping and fly-tipping at what was a notorious litter blackspot, and a permanent camera was erected there the following year.