COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF TALLAGHT AREA COMMITTEE

Monday, September 23, 2024

QUESTION NO.

QUESTION: Councillor D. Richardson

"Can the Manager report on fly tipping in the Tallaght area and report on what are the worse areas in the Tallaght area?"

REPLY:

All reports of illegal dumping and littering, in any area of the LEA, 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. Up to the end of August 2024, the Council's Litter Wardens have investigated 705 reports of illegal dumping in all areas of the county. Statistics are not currently recorded by LEA. 127 fines and 22 notices were issued over the same period.

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.

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.