Lack of bins leadsto illegal dumping crisis

ILLEGAL dumping in the North Cork region has reached crisis proportions, it was claimed yesterday, and a number of landlords are being blamed for not providing non-national tenants with bins.

Councillors in the region have become concerned at the alarming level of illegal dumping and some claimed that non-nationals living in rented accommodation were a significant part of the problem.

Cllr Sean Sherlock (Lab) said he didn’t want to be inflammatory, but he had proof that a number of immigrants were flouting the law. Meanwhile, FF’s Cllr Michael Donegan said non-nationals were coming out after dark and dumping refuse around the town of Charleville and outside it. He acknowledged, like Cllr Sherlock, that Irish people were equally irresponsible.

Both councillors suggested that bins should be provided by landlords to defeat the problem, with Cllr Sherlock adding that a multi-lingual educational programme should be adopted to counter it as well.

Cllr Dan Joe Fitzgerald (FF) said that all letting agents should be advised of the situation. Cllr Sherlock felt that if the general litter issue wasn’t tackled soon it might be impossible to bring under control.

He added that he was especially concerned that the removal of bring sites, before area civic amenity sites were all up and running, would lead to even more illegal dumping.

Cllr Noel O’Connor (FG) said he knew landowners in the region who were regularly finding 20 to 30 bags of rubbish strewn on their property.

Assistant county manager, Tim Lucey, said he would look at measures to improve enforcement and would also see if there was room in next year’s budget for educational programmes.

Michael Cremin, director of environmental services, said most people availing of kerbside collections of recyclables were not abusing the system. He added that 63 illegal dumping fines had been issued so far this year and that the council was putting on additional refuse truck routes to ensure more waste was collected.