Litter louts must be penalised severely - Barry

Sean McMahon

The dumping of household waste in a Bailieboro housing estate and green area over the weekend has prompted a local election candidate to call for more severe penalties to deal with those found responsible for blighting the landscape.
PJ Barry, who’s running in the Bailieboro-Cootehill area for Fianna Fáil, told The Anglo-Celt that illegal dumping across the county has reached such an acute level, that more stringent measures are required to crackdown on those responsible.
“Every single week I hear from locals concerned about the rise in illegal littering and fly tipping on streets and in our local amenities. In one housing estate in Bailieboro over the weekend, a tonne of household waste from paint cans to general domestic waste was dumped and scattered across a green area,” he said.
Cavan County Council recently revealed that it spent just under €930,000 on the clean-up of litter and waste last year. A total of 612 complaints were made to the local authority in 2018, with 150 fines issued.
“This amount of littering is simply not acceptable,” said Mr Barry.
“Not only is the cost of dealing with other people’s waste draining resources away from important public services in our area, it’s also polluting our own communities that we should be taking pride in.
“We are fortunate to have such a picturesque landscape on our doorstep – it beggars belief as to why people would consciously choose to destroy that,” he fumed.
Convictions are vital in order to deter such behaviour, according to Mr Barry, who’s calling for more litter wardens to help identify and prosecute offenders.
“The installation of CCTV cameras has helped in the last number of years in litter blackspots but enhancing the penalties for dumping is the only way to truly deter those who are intent on illegally dumping their rubbish.
“It’s disappointing that some are happy to dispose of their waste so poorly and to make it someone else’s problem to deal with,” said Mr Barry.
“The fact that taxpayers are forking out millions on picking up other people’s rubbish, means that holding illegal dumpers to account is very important,” he concluded.