COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF CLONDALKIN, NEWCASTLE, RATHCOOLE, SAGGART AND BRITTAS AREA COMMITTEE
Wednesday, April 19, 2023
MOTION NO.5
MOTION: Councillor William Joseph Carey
Cathaoirleach's Business
This committee agrees that council should install “No Dumping” signs at specific noted areas within the Bawnogue area at the following points – 1: Bawnogue Road and Lealand Estate. 2: Bawnogue Road and Lindisfarne Vale. 3: Canal Road and Lindisfarne Park. 4: Melrose Ave and Deansrath Green. 5: St Cuthberts Rd and Oldcastle Drive, and that SDCC distribute an information leaflet to all homes within the area outlining the councils policy towards illegal dumping and differentiating from organised community clean-ups within the area.
REPORT:
Signage will be installed at appropriate locations in the areas listed.
All reports of illegal dumping and littering are investigated by the Council's Litter Warden Service and all dumped material is searched for evidence. Where evidence is found, the appropriate enforcement action is taken under the Litter Pollution Act 1997, as amended. Increasingly, it is found that no personal information relating to polluters is contained within the dumped material, with personal information having been removed or shredded.
Village cleansing programme is ongoing in all town and village centres on a daily basis Monday to Friday and also on Sundays. Existing cleaning schedules are reviewed and modified regularly, planned and scheduled clean-ups of areas prone to repeated littering / dumping incidents is ongoing, and there is continuing liaison with community groups for Clean-Up collections. Regard is taken of reports / survey findings e.g. IBAL, and resources as available and appropriate, are applied.
An ongoing proactive anti-litter and anti-illegal dumping programmes and campaigns are delivered as per the Eastern Midlands Waste Regional Waste Management Plan and the SDCC Litter Management Plan. Some examples of the proactive initiatives that have been previously promoted/carried out include bulky waste collection pilots, bulbs not bonfires Halloween campaigns, Halloween campaigns involving tyre retailers, hazardous wastes collections and bring bank monitoring programmes.
Some other proactive initiatives carried out include the National Spring Clean, the PURE project, the Anti-Litter & Anti-Graffiti awareness grants, WEEE collection days, Eco -Week and annual anti-dumping schemes such as the mattress amnesties and area clean-ups.
All campaigns are widely promoted on the Council's Social Media, in print media, radio and cinema advertising.
Continued support is provided for through the Green Schools Programme, South Dublin County has 134 schools registered for this programme which has a theme specially dedicated to litter and waste. Support is provided on an ongoing basis to the green school’s programme through talks, workshops, competitions etc. and in May, 26 schools in South Dublin County will receive a green flag.
From January 2023 to date, there have been 31 new applications received and assistance provided through the social credit scheme. The following materials are available throughout the county, in the two Council offices and a number of community centres to successful applicants: litter pickers, bags, hi-vis vests, shovels and brushes, paint, paint brushes and native/pollinator seeds have been added to materials provided. Groups who avail of the supports are requested to return the materials following their clean up so that other groups may avail of them. 66 groups have registered to participate in the National Spring Clean running throughout the month of April.
As always, the public is encouraged to work with the Council in helping to identify culprits who engage in illegal dumping and to report any incidents observed.
Reports of littering and illegal dumping can be made on the Council’s Litter Warden hotline on 01 4149220 and on the Environmental Protection Agency’s anti-dumping hotline on 1850 365 121.
Where there is an ongoing problem of illegal dumping in any area, local residents are urged to support the Council in taking the appropriate enforcement action by making reports to the Litter Warden Service for investigation and by providing evidence, including testimony, where possible. Additionally, residents are encouraged through the medium of the Council's Social Credits Scheme to seek rewards for community-based initiatives, such as community clean ups.