Illegal dumpers going to great lengths to avoid prosecution

People who litter are going to unbelievable lengths to avoid prosecution by the authorities, it has been claimed.

Illegal dumping continues to blight one of the country’s top tourist areas. The number of cases reported to Kerry County Council has increased again in 2014.

The council has earmarked more than €600,000 for litter management in this year’s budget which includes the litter warden service, litter control initiatives and environmental awareness services.

“Illegal dumping is a constant problem and we’re continuing to ask the public to be vigilant and to report offenders to us,” said the council’s environmental awareness officer, Micheal Ó Coileáin.

However, figures have confirmed it is becoming increasingly difficult for local authorities to secure sufficient evidence to prosecute culprits. In 2014, the council had no successful prosecution for illegal dumping.

Mr Ó Coileáin said some offenders were going to unbelievable lengths to avoid being traced.

“They cut addresses off envelopes, cut off the top of bills. The cost of taking their rubbish to some remote area is often greater than the €3.50 they would be charged by the council for disposing of a bag of rubbish,” he said.

Areas a few kilometres outside towns are regularly targeted, including Killarney National Park, an international tourist attraction.

“The illegal dumpers are careful not be seen and go out late at night or early morning. Bridges are among their favourite places and they just throw the stuff in over the parapets and hope the water will carry it away,” Mr Ó Coileáin.

Hidden CCTV cameras, he said, are regularly placed at blackspots and moved from one spot to another to try to track offenders. The council plans to provide permanent security cameras to prevent dumping. In the past year, 437 cases had been investigated by Kerry County Council. There were 50 on-the-spot fines but no successful prosecutions.

In 2013, 419 cases were investigated, 75 on-the-spot fines and one successful prosecution. In 2012 there were two successful prosecutions from 380 cases and 57 on-the-spot fines.

Mr Ó Coileáin said all reported cases are investigated and he appealed to communities to be vigilant.

“Community groups and volunteers are doing great work in their local areas and the problem would be much greater, only for them,” he said. Bring banks are sometimes used by illegal dumpers to dispose of litter and the council recently closed two bottle banks for that reason.