By Joleen Murphy
Cleaning up after Roadside Dumping and Flytipping is Costing Local Authorities (and hence the Taxpayer) up to €100m each year, according to Senator Malcolm Byrne.
The Wexford based Senator is to introduce legislation that will permit local authorities to use CCTV for the purposes of catching those engaged in illegal dumping.
Figures released to Malcolm Byrne show a breakdown of costings for illegal dumping for local authorities in the South East.
Waterford county council splashed out the highest sum, spending €4,366,723 euro in illegal dumping management during 2020 alone.
Neighbouring county, Kilkenny, incurred costs of €1,983,350 euro during the same time period last year.
Wexford forked out €1,860,473 euro in waste clean up across the county throughout 2020.
Carlow county council spend €128,282 euro last year in litter management, street cleaning and water regulation.
Tipperary paid the least in the South East with 52,824 for the same time period.
Senator Malcolm Byrne says it must be addressed.
"We've got to give local authorities every possible resource to tackle it and what I'm going to do is introduce legislation that will underpin the use of CCTV so we can catch these people on camera, that that evidence can be used, that they can be fined and for repeat offenders, I believe the should be jailed."
"It's a scurge and it needs to stop"
"A part from the cost obviously there is huge environmental damage.There is the potential damage to animals if they consume any of the waste that is dumped and really, most people don't understand the mentality of people who load bags into the back of vans and go and dump them."
