Littering problem - Name and shame guilty

Upward of two million tourists visit Kerry every year, but the littering problems are getting worse, according to Kerry County Council. More people are engaged in indiscriminate dumping.

Last year, 110 local groups cleaned up more than 100 tonnes of rubbish on beaches, public parks and road sides during one month. In a recent clean up of Ventry Beach, on the Dingle Peninsula, 70 bags of rubbish were collected, 85% of which had been washed up.

There are more facilities than ever for proper waste disposal, and competition between the council and private operators has brought down collection prices.

Littering and indiscriminate dumping should be stamped out, not just because of the importance of tourism, but especially for our own quality of life.

The initiative being taken by Kerry County Council to place surveillance cameras in black spots should be welcomed.

Offenders should not only be named and shamed, they should also be prosecuted, fined and compelled to do community service, such as picking up such rubbish.

Maybe their photograph in the local newspaper doing such community service would impress on them and others the filthy antisocial nature of their misbehaviour.