Illegal dumping threatens multi-million tourist industry in Kerry

ILLEGAL dumping in Kerry has gone up by almost 60% this year and is threatening to undermine the area’s multi-million tourist industry, it has been warned.

Some wild and scenic areas are being blighted by the activities of people that go out under cover of darkness and dump everything from household rubbish to old furniture to car wrecks.

And, while there have been calls for a crackdown, some Kerry politicians believe the county council is not getting to grips with the problem.

“We’re not making any inroads into stopping it,” claimed Tralee Fianna Fáil councillor Ted Fitzgerald.

“At this stage, the problem is a threat to Kerry’s economy, being such an important tourist area. Very strong action must be taken against the people who’re destroying our county.”

Council director of environment Philip O’Sullivan presented a detailed report to this week’s meeting, showing that 391 cases have been investigated already this year compared to 246 cases for the same period last year - a 59% increase.

He said Kerry had four waste transfer stations, as well as the major landfill at Muingnaminnane, outside Tralee, and 38% of households were not availing of a waste collection service.

While some householders brought their waste to the council’s disposal facilities, there were still “considerable amounts of waste in Kerry which we cannot account for” and more illegal dumps were being reported, Mr O’Sullivan added.

He said the cost of disposal was often used as an excuse to justify illegal dumping, but a pay-by-use system was now giving people an opportunity to reduce their costs. The average cost per house was €300 to €320, this year.

Calling on the public to report offenders, he said it was very difficult to catch culprits in the act because they generally used remote locations.

“The council can’t do this on its own. We need the help of communities,” Mr O’Sullivan stressed.

Dumping has occurred in spectacular areas, such as Brandon Point, in the Dingle Peninsula, and Kerry Head, north of Ballyheigue.

The Kerry Head illegal dump was probably worst of all, he remarked, and almost 600 tonnes were dumped there over several years in the ‘90s. However, as local people became more vigilant, the dumping stopped.

Work is due to start this week in cleaning up Kilcummin bog, outside Killarney, where more than 50 cars had been dumped.

South Kerry Independent Alliance councillor Michael Gleeson described people that dump illegally as criminals.

Last year, there was a slight increase in the number of successful prosecutions in Kerry: 59 compared with 54, in 2003.