Council issue 65 litter fines in Tipperary

Tipperary Co Council has issued 65 litter fines so far this year with reports of illegal dumping of waste on the increase again.

At last week's meeting of the council in Littleton, Cllr John Carroll complained of black bags of rubbish being dumped at the side of the road between Nenagh and Birdhill in the last fortnight. While he appreciated that many people are under increased financial pressure in the Covid-19 crisis, Cllr Carroll said dumping is perpetrated by “the lowest form of individuals” and should not be tolerated.

“Shame on the small number of people who are destroying our pristine environment,” he fumed. Cllr Carroll said the penalties for offenders need to be a lot stronger. The court system is bureaucratic and very costly. It is outdated and it needs to be changed.”

Cllr Máirín McGrath said there would be less illegal dumping if there was greater promotion of the council-run civic amenity sites, the variety of material that can be brought to the sites, and the low cost of disposal. 

Cllr Siobhán Ambrose raised the subject of overflowing bottle and used clothing banks. There should be a 24-hour emergency number for people to contact if the bins are over-flowing, as is frequently the case, she said.
Director of Services Clare Curley said the council has issued 65 litter fines and had a number of successful prosecutions in 2020. Generally, court is a last resort as the council tries to work with communities where littering is concerned. 

Ms Curley pointed out that the council managed to keep Tipperary's five civic amenity centres open during the recent lockdown. The facilities were widely used with a lot of people availing of the time to clear out properties. She also made the point that the civic amenity centres are an option for people who do not have a bin collection service.The director said bottle banks are emptied every three to five days and clothes banks every five to seven days. 

There are numbers for people to ring in the event of the banks needing to be collected ahead of schedule. The council has installed CCTV cameras at locations where there has been continued situations of littering at the bring bank sites. Senior Executive Officer Marion O'Neill added that there is a service provider number for members of the public to contact if the banks need to be emptied.