COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF RATHFARNHAM / TEMPLEOGUE / FIRHOUSE / BOHERNABREENA AREA COMMITTEE

Tuesday, April 18, 2023

MOTION NO. 8

MOTION: Councillor Alan Edge

In view of a rise in large scale illegal dumping in the Glenasmole Valley, that this Area Committee calls for covert CCTV in the area to ensure that offenders are prosecuted to conviction.

REPORT:

As always, the Council is grateful for assistance and support from residents or others in their investigations of such incidents as they arise. In the absence of substantive evidence / witness statements and the presence of such witnesses in court it is not possible for us to bring successful prosecutions. 

The area is patrolled regularly by the Council's Litter Wardens and all incidents reported or detected are investigated. Increasingly it is found that no information relating to polluters is contained within the dumped material, with personal information having been dumped or shredded.

The Circular Economy and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2022 (the Act) was enacted on the 21st of July 2022.  The legislation provides for the use of CCTV and Mobile Recording Devices in the Local Government Sector for preventing, detecting, investigating, or prosecuting offences under the Litter Pollution Act 1997 and the Waste Management Act 1996. With the assistance of the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA), Local Authorities are developing Codes of Practice for CCTV and Mobile Recording Devices as required under the Act. The Code of Practice will provide guidance on the appropriate and effective use of CCTV and mobile recording devices in litter and waste enforcement.

The deployment of CCTV in this area is a proven deterrent. From June 2019, for a period of three months, covert surveillance was deployed at two locations in the Piperstown Road area. This was carried out as part of the Department of Communications, Climate Action & Environment 2019 Anti-Dumping Initiative Grant. The deployment of covert surveillance at these locations was successful resulting in the detection of three incidences of illegal dumping and burning at the selected sites. Evidence gathered also provided valuable information to assist in identifying persons involved in additional illegal dumping activities in the area. As a result of investigations, case files were submitted the Council's Law Department for prosecution under the Waste Management Act.

Covert surveillance was deployed during 2020 at different locations throughout the County and once again proved to be successful in identifying incidences of illegal dumping. This surveillance was carried out as part of the 2020 Anti-Dumping Initiative.

Further deployment of covert surveillance in the Glanasmole Valley area will be considered when the Code of Practice has been finalised and approved by the Minister.

The area is also within the catchment of the PURE project (Protecting Uplands and Rural Environments).