Crackdown is working on fly-tipping

Galway County Council’s campaign to stamp out illegal dumping is working, a meeting of the County Joint Policing Committee has heard.

According to Chair of the JPC’s Illegal Dumping & Littering sub-committee, Cllr Michael ‘Moegie’ Maher, the €82,000 spent by the local authority cleaning up litter blackspots has rid many areas of the scourge of illegal dumping – with an investment in CCTV cameras acting as a deterrent for repeat offenders.

In many cases, culprits have been rooted out, by means of anonymous reports or by searching the rubbish for evidence which may reveal their identity, said the Loughrea-based councillor, adding that the Council is successfully bringing the culprits before the courts.

“It’s great to note that there are cases in front of the courts for people who were caught dumping. These people have been warned, on radio, in the papers, all over the place.

“I’m not sorry for them,” said Cllr Maher.

CCTV cameras have been installed, or are due to be installed, in a number of locations known for regular dumping. The cameras, which are hidden in boxes, could be placed anywhere, said Cllr Maher, and so those engaged in the activity are unaware they are being watched.

He praised the work of Gardaí who join forces with community wardens to tackle the problem – an approach he said had been hugely successful.

“The initiative we are taking is working and I think we need to promote Galway as a green county,” said Cllr Maher.

However, he warned that staff numbers in the Environment Section at County Hall would need to be increased if the problem was to be solved once and for all.

“I am calling on Galway County Council to make sure there is enough staff because presently, there is not.

“The people who are illegally dumping are not always nice people to deal with and it is understaffed,” said Cllr Maher.

Chair of the Joint Policing Committee, Cllr Peter Roche (FG) said despite the “exorbitant” cost of carrying out clean-ups, the benefits were “extremely welcome”.

Referring to one particular area that has been cleared in Abbeyknockmoy, Cllr Roche said it was now a popular route for local walkers.

“The one thing that must come from us, as a Council, is resources. I don’t want it to be that we’d ever, as the local authority, be skimping with the resources we employ or deploy in tackling this blight on society.

“Anyone who thinks it’s okay, or continues repeatedly dumping, won’t get away with it for too long,” said Cllr Roche.

Cllr Maher said the sub-committee had also been working with local businesses to reduce waste and packaging and praised one local fast food outlet for the example they had set.

“I have to compliment Supermac’s. They have set up a green team in each of their outlets and they do a litter pick after closing, 100 yards to each side of the business.

“They have reduced packaging and I have to compliment Pat and Una McDonagh for that,” he said.

The sub-committee has been working to encourage businesses to eliminate single-use plastics in favour of items like paper straws and reusable cups.

Cllr Maher said they were in talks with the Council to ensure that all of its operations would be setting an example, and called on the Gardaí to do the same.