Council vows to fight litter louts as probe finds 120 illegal dumps

LOCAL authority officials have identified more than 120 illegal dumps in Co Cork and, to date, around 50 prosecutions have been initiated, some of which have been dealt with by the courts.

The council, in conjunction with gardaí, intend to step up the battle against

illegal operators. This will involve roadblocks and checks on lorries carrying refuse and also following suspect vehicles to their destinations.

The introduction of pay- by-weight billing countywide is leading to concerns that more waste will be dumped illegally in remote areas.

A spokeswoman for the council revealed that 238 applications for waste permits had been received.

“Approximately 200 have been granted and we need more information on others,” the spokeswoman said.

“Since the introduction of the Waste Permitting Regulations, over 120 facilities have been investigated for unauthorised activities. A number of these have been closed.

“Over 50 prosecutions have arisen. Some prosecutions have been successful in the courts while others have been adjourned, or are going through the legal process.”

Meanwhile, councillors have discussed a pilot scheme to report litter louts. The call was made by Cllr John Gilroy, who wants the scheme set up initially in the Glanmire area.

The Labour councillor said most casual littering was caused by carelessness and thoughtlessness.

“A deterrent might concentrate people’s minds, and there’s no better way than hitting people in the pocket,” Mr Gilroy said.

He proposed that people report litter louts via a lo-call number The move was seconded by Cllr Dan Fleming (FF), but his party colleague, Cllr Deirdre Forde, had some reservations.

“I’d be concerned that complaints could be spurious. I’m worried there would be a problem checking them,” Ms Forde said.

Fine Gael’s Cllr Noel O’Connor also expressed reservations.

“There’s a touch of Big Brother about it,” he said.

It was agreed by councillors to refer the matter to a specialist committee on the environment, which will meet shortly to decide the issue.

A number of schools in the Southern Division area have written to parents advising them that children must take leftovers from their lunches home in future, in an effort to cut down on costs associated with refuse collection, which is likely to be quite significant in larger schools.

The Southern Division area is the last region in the county to introduce pay-by- weight billing.