Kerry to name and shame litter louts
Amid claims that the littering problem in the tourism hotspot is getting worse, Kerry County Council has announced the new initiative alongside more surveillance cameras in well-known blackspots.
Over two million tourists visit Kerry each year and the council’s environment awareness officer, Michael O Coileáin, said littering had become a cause of “embarrassment and shame” in recent times. He suggested that despite the council’s best efforts more rubbish than ever was being dumped in the countryside.
The problem is exacerbated, the council have suggested, by staffing cutbacks.
Mr O Coileáin pointed out, however, that despite the staffing cut-backs there has never been more facilities for the proper disposal of waste in Kerry, with eight waste transfer stations and more than 100 bottle banks around the county.
Competition between the council and private waste operators was also forcing down collection prices, with the council charging houses €260 per year, he added.
According to the council’s report, 611 cases of littering and 47 of abandoned vehicles were received last year. The council carried out 392 clean-ups. Only 168 offenders were identified.
“However improved surveillance systems and cameras should significantly increase the number of offenders identified this year,” Mr O Coileán said.
Responding to the move, Irish Businesses Against Litter chairman Tom Cavanagh said the decision should be applauded as a vital step towards addressing Ireland’s litter problems and introduced nationally.
“This is the only way to stop littering because the fines are pretty ineffective. From a business perspective, having your name shamed in the press is far more motivating than being fined a monitory sum. Plans like this are normally put to one side because it causes problems for politicians, so I applaud the council for having the courage to take this step,” he said.
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