Cork County Council to use hidden CCTV to crackdown on illegal dumping

Numerous illegal dumping sites have been found by Cork County Council in recent years.

Almost 40 covert CCTV cameras have been installed at known illegal dumping blackspots throughout Cork in a bid to crackdown on litter louts.

Cork County Council has also had to change its practices at recycling centres because of the sheer volume of cans and bottles left there by people who were drinking at home due to Covid-19 restrictions, with the volume of materials dumped increasing by 50% in some cases.

As part of the new strategy targeting illegal dumping, some 37 new covert CCTV cameras have been installed at various locations throughout the county. 

Louis Duffy, the head of the council's environment directorate, declined to reveal the locations for fear the cameras would be damaged or removed, or that people would simply go elsewhere to dump but said there are eight in the Fermoy district, six in Macroom, and five in the Cobh district.

Some of these will stay in place for days or even weeks to gather evidence on illegal dumping, with fines increasing from €150 for a small indiscretion to a maximum of €3,000 if the case reaches the courts. 

Mr Duffy said the covert CCTV cameras “were proving to be quite effective” in the battle against litter louts.

He also said the volumes of material dumped at recycling centres remains so high that contractors have had to make far more frequent visits to empty containers.

People are continuing to dump large numbers of bottles and cans in bags or boxes outside the receptacles, even when they are empty. Others leave them on the ground when they are full, which is also an offence.

In addition, many used lockdown as an opportunity for a spring clean, which led to many people simply dumping household materials around the countryside.

However, Mr Duffy said there has not been "a massive increase" in illegal dumping in recent months, despite some fears this was the case.