Record numbers visiting civic amenity sites

People are continuing to use Tipperary’s civic amenity sites in their droves and it is already looking like last year’s record visitor numbers will be surpassed in 2021.

Tipperary Co Council has reported an increase of 6,519 customers at the county’s five civic amenity sites in the first four months of this year. That represents an 18% increase on the same period last year.

Nenagh’s Limerick Road facililty - which is to be upgraded in a plan that will allow increased capacity - had some 9,500 customers up to the end of April. The Roscrea centre on the town’s Dublin Road had 8,300 customers in the same period.

The council has applied to the Department of Environment for a “matress amnesty event” at the five civic amenity sites under the Anti-Dumping Initiative. Enabling people to dispose of unwanted matresses without charge, this move was warmly welcomed by councillors at their May meeting, which was also informed that the first quarter of 2021 saw an increase of approximately 22% in glass and cans collected at council bring sites compared to the same period last year. Over 1,000 tonnes of glass were collected compared to 848 in 2020, while the tonnage of cans increased from 34 to almost 40.

Almost 120 tonnes of textiles were collected across the county this year. Ten illegal clothes banks were identified and removed; two were released back to the owners following payment of a handling fee to the council.

The meeting was also informed that 67 litter fines were issued this year. The council was successful in prosecuting for illegal dumping at Thurles District Court last month when a perpetrator was convicted and costs awarded of €2,500 with an additional penalty of €150. The case involved illegal dumping and stockpiling of waste at a private house. More than 10 tonnes of waste were removed from the property.

Among other environmental activities, the council is distributing hi-visibility jackets with the text ‘My dog supports a clean environment - Keep Tipp Tidy’ as part of a campaign on dog fouling. 500 jackets are to be made available through shops in three towns, including Centra in Nenagh.

Before the meeting was a notice of motion from Cllrs Tony Black and David Dunne, who wanted the council to write to the Minister for Housing and Local Government seeking the establishment of a national task force to tackle the problems of illegal dumping, littering and dog fouling.

“It would support an effort to tackle this national issue and could highlight any successes and best practice, and also encourage compliance and people to engage,” they suggested of the proposed task force.

Cllr Michael Fitzgerald was not in favour of the proposal, which he said would create “another layer of bureaucracy” and would require funding. He believed that efforts would be better concentrated on prosecuting people who litter and dump waste on a large scale.

“We have to try and find the perpetrators and make examples of them,” Cllr Fitzgerald said. He added that people who put photographs of dumped rubbish on social media and threaten to name the perpetrator unless it is cleared up have had success.

Director of Services Clare Curley informed the meeting that the council has put together a strong application for funding under the Anti-Dumping Initiative, with three projects identified in each of Tipperary’s municipal districts.