Clare County Council insists it is working with its counterparts in Limerick in an effort to curb illegal dumping along the county border.
It follows claims by Meelick Councillor Cathal Crowe that there’s been a surge in fly-tipping in East Clare over the past fortnight.
Fly-tipping has become a country-wide issue in recent times but Councillor Cathal Crowe says there’s been a sudden surge in activity along the border of Clare and Limerick.
He says workers involved in the Tús Employment Scheme have collected in excess of 40 bags in the area in the past fortnight.
Councillor Crowe believes that current efforts to tackle the issue aren’t working, and says what’s needed a policy which will allow for the naming and shaming of those responsible.
The local authority is currently working with its counterparts in Limerick and Kerry as part of the Regional Waste Management Plan but Councillor Crowe believes more co-operation between the authorities is needed.
Clare County Council has refuted this, saying it’s one of ten Local Authorities in the Southern Waste Region which has a standard and coordinated approach towards waste enforcement and awareness campaigns.
It points out that a complaints database is in place in all areas of the county, while CCTV cameras are being used as a preventative measure in black spots, with evidence collected being used in prosecuting offenders.
Residents in Meelick have raised concerns about the ongoing issue, saying fly-tipping is damaging the local environment.
Full Statement For Clare County Council:
John O’Malley, Senior Executive Engineer in Environment Section of Clare Co Council advised that “The Waste Regulation and Enforcement team within Clare County Council, is a multi-disciplinary team of staff dedicated to the enforcement of waste management and litter legislation throughout the county of Clare. There is a dedicated community warden in both the Shannon Municipal District and Killaloe Municipal District who monitor their respective municipal district areas, respond to and investigate all complaints received and who also work closely with members of the Council and local communities, in their work to address illegal dumping.”
Clare County Council uses a complaints database to help identify and address the black spots in all areas of the county, including East Clare. CCTV cameras are being used as a preventative measure, help clear up litter black spots and evidence collected will continue to be used in prosecuting offenders. County Clare is one of ten Local Authorities that form the Southern Waste Region and all counties in this region have a standard and coordinated approach in terms of coordinating waste enforcement actions and awareness campaigns around preventing and managing waste. The Local Authorities meet on a regular basis under the umbrella of ‘WERLA’ the Waste Enforcement Regional Local Authorities, which provides opportunities for networking, sharing experiences and expertise.
Illegal dumping is not just a problem in South East Clare, it is a country wide issue. In recognition of the extent of the problem, The Minster for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Denis Naughton, will be launching a new grant scheme on the 13th March 2017, which aims to support Local Authorities working with local community organisations and other state agencies to tackle the problem of illegal dumping. It is understood that total funding of €650,000 will be provided nationally.
Clare County Council has also announced three grant schemes aimed at providing financial assistance to community groups wishing to undertake improvement and maintenance works in their areas, which allows for applications for funding to assist with Illegal Dump Clean-up. The closing date for this scheme is Friday, 31 March 2017. Environment Section also provides supports for Community Clean Ups, as part of the National Spring Clean initiative, which takes place during the month of April.
In addition, Clare County Council provides 55 bottle and textile banks throughout the county which people can use free of charge. The East Clare area is served by two Clare County Council recycling centres, in Scariff and Shannon. For more details on your nearest bring bank and recycling centre visit www.clarecoco.ie.
