‘Cute’ illegal dumpers stay one step ahead

ILLEGAL dumpers in Kerry have become so “cute” that it is virtually impossible to catch them, it was revealed yesterday.

“People are just not leaving any evidence in the rubbish. They’ve copped on to that aspect of it,” said Kerry County Council’s environment director, Anne Haugh.

Last year, the council investigated 718 cases of illegal dumping, compared with 534 in 2006.

But there were only four successful prosecutions, compared with nine the previous year.

Ms Haugh told a council meeting it was increasingly difficult to get prosecutions because people had become so “cute” that they left no clues behind.

The low number of prosecutions would be among her department’s biggest concerns, she said.

“We need the general public on our side and I would ask people to alert us to illegal dumping. People need to be pro-active and to be reporting offenders. The best deterrent would be publicity from high-profile court cases,” she said.

Scenic areas of the county, roadsides and bog lands are being blotted by rubbish which can range from black bags full of domestic waste, to discarded household furniture, to old cars.

Kerry is visited by around two million people each year and tourism interests have already voiced serious concerns about the damage such dumping is doing to the image of the county.

Fianna Fáil councillor Ted Fitzgerald described illegal dumping as a scandal and called for a blitz on culprits.

“I would appeal to the general public to expose these people for what they are. They should be ashamed of themselves,” he said.

Fine Gael councillor Pat McCarthy called for an increase in the maximum fine for those convicted of the offence. The fine is currently €3,000.

The meeting was told of a survey which found that around 8% of householders in Kerry had no known form of waste disposal.

Fine Gael councillor Bobby O’Connell said these people should be asked what they were doing with their rubbish.

Sinn Féin councillor Robert Beasley said dog fouling on beaches and footpaths was becoming a significant issue, but the council did not have enough staff to enforce the regulations.

“People seem to have more pets than ever before and dog fouling is a serious problem,” he said.

The meeting was told 3,000 pooper-scoopers had been distributed throughout the county.

There were also calls for CCTV cameras at bring banks which were being targeted by illegal dumpers.

However, Ms Haugh said it would not be possible to have cameras at all 99 bring bank sites in Kerry.

Cameras were already being used successfully in some trouble spots and cameras would also be installed at a number of other sites this year, she said.