It’s hoped the impending installation of CCTV at blackspot sites across Clare will finally lead to a reduction in illegal dumping.
The local authority has confirmed it will be rolling out pilot systems at two locations in the county from May.
Clare County Council has already received an average of 50 illegal dumping complaints every month this year, with mattresses, household items, furniture and plastic bottles frequently appearing in woodlands, hedges and ditches.
Calls for video surveillance to be installed at blackspots across the county have been echoed for years, with areas such as Cratloe Wood, Woodcock Hill, The Windy Gap, Clareabbey, Shannon Town Park and the Tulla Bring Bank particularly blighted in recent times.
The local authority has now confirmed the first systems will be piloted at sites in Kilrush and East Clare in May.
Quilty Fianna Fáil Councillor Michael Shannon says it needs to be expanded as soon as possible.
A consultation process will get underway in the coming weeks, where it’s understood members of the public will have an opportunity to propose their blackspot areas for future consideration.
Cratloe Community Council is among the organisations hoping they will see the surveillance rolled out in the near future.
Chairperson Josefa McElligot says fly-tipping remains a serious issue in the village, with a recent incident of rubbish catching fire almost devastating an ecological area.
You can listen to the full interview below.
