€2m a year to keep city spick and span

A report on litter and illegal dumping carried out by Galway City Council has revealed that it is costing the local authority €2 million a year to keep the city clean.

The problem of illegal dumping was highlighted as a significant drain on resources with the Council having to respond to 1,069 complaints in relation to waste pollution last year – 904 of which were as a result of illegal dumping.

A meeting of the Council’s Strategic Policy Committee (SPC) on Environment, Recreation and Amenity was told how, “Galway has always been to the forefront of waste management” – having been the first city in Ireland to introduce segregated bins.

However, Senior Engineer with the Council, Joe Tansey, said that there was a “continuing and ongoing problem with illegal dumping”.

“There is no end to the ingenuity people will go to illegally dump waste – we have seen abandoned cars stuffed with waste.

“The Spanish Arch and Merlin Woods – these are ongoing and recurring locations,” said Mr Tansey.

According to Mr Tansey, the biggest strain on the Council’s pocket is the collection of bins and despite repeated calls for an increased number of bins around the city, he said that this would not solve the problem.

“The fact of the presence of a bin does not make illegal dumping acceptable. With cans at the Spanish Arch, it is as easy to bring them away as it is to bring them there.

“We have to be real – we have limited resources and the emptying of bins takes a huge amount of resources.

“It is not fair that the City Council should be targeted when it should be the people who illegally dump,” exclaimed Mr Tansey.

It was explained to members of the SPC that when a complaint is received, it is logged and when personnel are available, City Hall will dispatch them to the location of the dumping.

Following this, Council workers will clean the area and will go through any materials found to try ascertain who the illegal dumper might have been.

This is both a dangerous and unpleasant job with needles having been found on a number of occasions by workers.

Mr Tansey believed that while this was necessary to maintain the appearance of the city, it was leading people to believe that they could get away with dumping their waste where they choose.

“The person that is dumping material is finding that the City Council is removing and disposing of it – costing nothing to that person,” he said.

Shifting attention to the City Centre, Mr Tansey said that people would be shocked to see the “disgusting” state that the Council’s team find when they go out on to the streets at 5am every morning.

“We have people rostered in the city every morning at 5am. During peak tourist season, our lads will work until 11pm at night.

“In 2017, we will spend €1.889million on waste – that is a staggering amount of money when a lot more could be spent on other resources if people didn’t have to be cleaned up after.

“In the first instance, the public have the onus to dispose of litter properly,” he said.

The report highlights a recent development of dumping black bags on road sides in residential estates – bags that appear to contain grass cuttings on initial inspection but contain household rubbish.

There is an agreement with several residents’ associations whereby locals will cut small common areas and the Council will collect the cuttings.

Cllr Colette Connolly said that this is something the City Council must ensure is not abused.

“When Council workers go out to collect the grass, it goes in black bags with no marking on the bags.

“Residents are only waiting on the bags to start dumping waste – residents’ associations should be supplied with Galway City Council bags,” she said.

Chair of the SPC, Cllr Terry O’Flaherty, praised the diligent work of the street cleaners and said that the work they do is “absolutely fantastic”.

“They are dedicated, turn up on time and they have a very dirty city to face in the morning.

“A name and shame policy is needed,” she said.

Cllr Donal Lyons, said it would be remiss not to compliment the great work that the Council’s street team do and added that the vast amounts spent on it shows the commitment of City Council to keeping the streets clean.

Cllr Lyons backed calls to “name and shame” illegal dumpers – given the high cost their actions inflict on City Council.