COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

South Dublin County Council Crest

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, January 12, 2015

QUESTION NO. 11

QUESTION: Councillor C. O'Connor

To ask the Chief Executive if he is satisfied that the Council has sufficient resources allocated to deal with the litter problem throughout our County and will he outline his proposals and action plan in that regard?

REPLY:

South Dublin County Council has a team of five (5) Litter Wardens who investigate all complaints of illegal dumping and littering as well as patrolling all areas within the Council’s administrative area. 

The Litter Warden Service has investigated 2,015 complaints between 1st January and 30th November 2014, resulting in 574 litter fines and 235 notices being issued, pursuant to the Litter Pollution Act 1997, as amended.

The Litter Wardens assess and deal with each complaint in a balanced manner.  In some cases where enforcement action is not deemed appropriate, they engage with business owners and residents to remind them of their obligations to dispose of waste in an appropriate manner.

In many cases enforcement action could not be taken due to lack of evidence, unwillingness of complainant to provide witness statement, or difficulty in identifying the legal entity responsible as increasingly it is found that no personal information relating to the polluters is contained within the dumped material with personal information having been removed or shredded.

Members of the public are urged and encouraged to support the Council in taking the appropriate enforcement action by making reports to the Litter Warden for investigation and by providing evidence where possible.   Reports of illegal dumping and littering can be made through the following channels:

In addition to the work of the Litter Warden Service, during 2014 the Enforcement and Licensing Section issued 864 letters, pursuant to the South Dublin County Council Household Waste Bye-Laws 2012. These letters were sent to residents in areas where there were persistent incidences of illegal dumping, in an effort to combat the problem of illegal dumping and to advise residents of their obligations under the Household Waste Bye-Laws 2012. A “Litter and The Law” leaflet was also provided with each letter, in the interests of raising awareness and informing residents of their responsibilities.

Residents are also encouraged, through the medium of the Council’s Social Credits Scheme, to seek rewards for community based initiatives such as community clean ups.

South Dublin County Council’s Litter Management Plan 2011 – 2014 is currently being reviewed and it is anticipated that a report on the review will be presented to the Environment SPC in February 2015.  A public consultation period will be afforded to ensure the public have input into the new Litter Management Plan. A review of the Council's Litter Bye-Law for the Prevention and Control of Litter will be taken in tandem with this review.