The end is Knigh!

It takes the time to travel from Nenagh to Knigh Cross to eat a burger, an annoyed local councillor has judged by the amount of fast food packaging dumped there.

Cllr Joe Hannigan said people travelling between Nenagh and Puckane at night are throwing burger and chip wrappings out the window of cars at the cross. He told last week's meeting of Nenagh Municipal District that this is happening all too regularly and asked if the local authority could do anything with fast food operators about it.

In agreement was Cllr Séamie Morris, who said there are many locations around Nenagh where people can gauge how long it takes to finish a burger by the packaging discarded on the road. He suggested that Tipperary Co Council could look at the permitted opening hours of local fast food outlets for one thing.

Several councillors expressed concern with incidents of fly-tipping across the district, where only eight fines were issued under the Litter Pollution Act in the first quarter of this year. Five fixed payment notices were issued under the Waste Management Byelaws.

Cllr Fiona Bonfield praised the efforts of the litter wardens in the difficult task of trying to catch offenders. She spoke of a problem with littering at Shower Bog and wanted it kept on the agenda. Cllr Bonfield added that the Deposit Return scheme has proven very successful and wondered if something similar could be done with fast food operators.

Cllr Pamela Quirke O'Meara said there has been an increased presence of rubbish in Coillte forest land. She had received reports of truck drivers dumping their rubbish in forestry areas, and also speeding on local roads. Cllr Quirke O'Meara asked the council to follow up on the matter.

Cllr JP O'Meara wanted the council to inform the public about the procedure in prosecuting litter offenders. He again referenced a recent situation where photographs of documents - taken from rubbish dumped in a Coillte forest area - were posted on Facebook, an action that may have compromised the investigation.

DOG FOULING

The meeting also heard of an increased prevalence of dog fouling in public areas. Cllr Morris said this has become a particular issue of concern for wheelchair users and people pushing buggies or prams.

While the majority of dog owners are responsible, Cllr Morris wanted to know what the council could do about the 10% that do not comply with the laws. “The 10% are assholes anyway - I don't mind saying that,” he added.

Cllr Morris appreciated there is little the council could do about the situation but he suggested that greater use of dog bins might help. He sought a review of locations where people walk dogs to see if they are adequately served with bins.

In support, Cllr Louise Morgan Walsh was concerned about dog owners allowing their pets to dump on green areas in housing estates. This would become a big issue going into summer, she warned.

Senior Executive Officer Michael Moroney said dog fouling is an ongoing problem and identifying negligent owners is the crux of the matter. He mentioned a number of initiatives taken by the council including education campaigns in schools and stenciling dog foul on footpaths.

WARDENS ‘MAXED-OUT’

Mr Moroney said the council has received grant funding for the Dept of Environment for a third dog warden. He hoped the new appointment would become a presence on local walkways because the council's current dog wardens are “maxed-out” in trying to respond to the various complaints they are receiving.

On the subject of fly-tipping, Mr Moroney said the council has been proactive but is again experiencing difficulty in finding evidence that leads to successful prosecutions. He agreed with Cllr O'Meara that investigations should be taken on by the council and not shared with the general public, adding that the council cannot rely on second or third-hand information in bringing a prosecution.

Mr Moroney said the council is continuing to run messaging campaigns with fast food outlets where littering is concerned. He agreed that the Deposit Return scheme has been a success locally, with fewer bottle and can litter in evidence. The Environment executive officer said he would ask an enforcement officer to follow up on the reports of littering in forestry areas.