Fly-tippers dump all over the rest of us

The cost of cleaning up other people’s rubbish dumped illegally in County Galway has rocketed more than threefold.

Shock new figures obtained by The Connacht Tribune reveal almost €120,000 has been spent by Galway County Council on cleaning up illegal dumping sites including bogs, boreens, byroads and under bridges across the county.

Worryingly the amounts of money spent – obtained under Freedom of Information (FOI) – highlight that the problem is worsening year-on-year.

In 2014, just shy of €12,000 was spent on cleaning up illegal dumps that blighted the countryside. But last year, that figure topped €44,000.

Anecdotally, according to Galway County Councillors, the increase in illegal dumping coincided with the introduction of wheelie bins, which cost €400 plus a charge per weight.

The total clean-up costs in the county over the past five years was €116,730 including: €14,814 in 2013; €11,981 in 2014; €19,032 in 2015; €26,710 in 2016; and €44,193 in 2017.

“We’re broke as a local authority – that’s the reality. We can’t keep our potholes filled, we can’t put tar and chip to repair our roads, and yet we are going around spending huge sums to clear up other people’s rubbish,” said Cllr James Charity.

See full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune.