Council set to ratify illegal dumping name and shame campaign

CONTROVERSIAL anti-litter plans to name and shame fly tippers in one of the country’s most picturesque regions are due to be given the green light shortly.

Kerry County Council has confirmed that the aggressive illegal dumping policy will be ratified at the local authority’s July meeting.

Under the policy, first formally discussed by the council in March, anyone found guilty of dumping their household or work-related waste in public areas will have their names publicised by the council.

The move will only involve individuals who have gone through the courts system and refused to pay resulting fines.

However, a spokesperson for the local authority said it was a vital step towards ensuring the natural beauty of the major tourist destination is not damaged further.

“Our legal agents have been looking at the viability of this for some time.

“There were similar plans a couple of years ago from Tralee Town Council that were shelved, but we have been assured this plan is workable,” he said.

As part of stringent anti-litter initiatives, secret CCTV cameras have also been placed in a number of notorious fly tipping areas in Kerry in recent weeks.

The hidden camera scheme is currently working on a pilot basis. However, it is also expected to be given the green light for full-time use at the council’s upcoming meeting next month, with a number of companies seeking the right to operate the service for the local authority.

When the name and shame plan was first announced in March, the county council’s environment awareness officer Michael O Coileáin said the current littering situation had become a cause of “embarrassment and shame” for the area.

He added it risked damaging the local economy in a region which attracts up to two million tourists from other parts of Ireland and abroad every year.

Despite local authority staffing cutbacks, there has never been more waste disposal facilities in Kerry, with eight waste transfer stations in place and more than 100 bottle banks available.

Competition between the council and private waste operators has also helped to force down collection prices, with the council charging houses €260 per year for the service.

However, the local authority’s report for 2009 found that 611 cases of littering and 47 more of abandoned vehicles were identified in Kerry last year.

While the council carried out 392 clean-ups, only 168 offenders were identified.