COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF CLONDALKIN AREA COMMITTEE

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

QUESTION NO. 6

QUESTION: Councillor E. Ó'Broin

To ask the Manager to provide a report on illegal dumping in the Clondalkin LEA detailing the following:

- the number of reports of illegal dumping by the public in 2012 and 2013

- the volume of waste collected in 2012 and 2013

- the cost to the Council arising from illegal dumping in 2012 and 2013

- the number of prosecutions for illegal dumping in 2012 and 2013

- a list of strategies or plans to deal with illegal dumping in 2013 and 2014

- a list of what information is collated by the Council on the issue of illegal dumping and a copy of this information as it related to the Clondalkin LEA?

REPLY:

In the period January to October 2012, the Council received 112 reports of  illegal dumping in the Clondalkin area.  In the same period in 2013, 151 reports were received representing an increase the current year of of 34.8%.   The number of fines issued for the period January to October  2012 in the Clondalkin  area was 185 compared with 150 in 2013,  representing a  decrease in  the current year of  18.9%.   Of the fines issued in 2012 for the Clondalkin area,  53 cases were referred to the Law Department for prosecution, while 27 cases have been referred in the current year.

The Council continues to analyse data pertaining to illegal dumping in ongoing efforts to establish the most prolific illegal dumping sites throughout the county. CCTV is employed as required and covert CCTV cameras have and continue to be used in efforts to clamp down on the perpetrators of illegal dumping.

While current SDCC systems cannot extract data by reference to LEA's, as part of the public realm transition process, the financial and other statistical analysis in respect of illegal dumping, littering etc will be tracked and reported.

The Council is proactive in promoting good environmental practice.The Social Credits scheme encourages communities to get involved in their area in a positive way through community clean ups. There are 8 Tidy Towns groups in the County now - 2 in the Clondalkin LEA - Clondalkin and North Clondalkin. Anti litter and dumping campaigns are supported - National Spring Clean in April each year, door to door WEEE collections in the run up to Halloween and the Green Schools programme throughout the County. This year a leaflet alerting householders to the problem of illegal waste collections and the consequential dumping was prepared and is available for groups to distribute on receipt of information regarding an illegal waste collection notice. These leaflets are also distributed by the Environmental Health Officers and Housing Department staff where appropriate. Social media has also been used to make the public aware of such practices

In the current year the Council's Enforcement and Licensing Division has been successful in securing  the prosecution of a number  of illegal waste operators throughout the county.