The scourge of fly-tipping: How illegal dumping is defacing Cork’s countryside

Covert CCTV delays, rising waste volumes and weak enforcement leave Cork struggling to contain a worsening fly-tipping crisis

Fly-tipping is endemic, with motorists throwing almost everything and anything out of their vehicles, and not just on remote roads, council staff say.

It is costing Cork County Council “multiple millions of euro” each year to try and tackle illegal dumping that is now so widespread, people are even throwing their rubbish into graveyards.

Meanwhile, almost “industrial scale” clean-outs of household items — including fridges, freezers, and large sofas — have become commonplace. It is not just happening in traditionally hidden places, such as in remote forests, but just a few metres from main roads.