COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, May 12, 2025

QUESTION NO. 7

QUESTION: Councillor N. Fennell

To ask the Chief Executive how many notifications and/or fines were issued by the litter warden to fast food outlets in the county, in the previous 3 years of 2022, 2023 and 2024, for failing to maintain the required area outside their premises of litter. This response to detail the breakdown by LEA in tabular form.

REPLY:

All incidents of illegal dumping reported or detected in any area 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. 

The Environmental Complaints System operated by South Dublin County Council provides a statistical breakdown by designated litter warden areas. 

The total number of complaints made under the Litter Pollution Act 1997 and investigated by the Litter Warden service between 2022 and 2024 was 4,264. This figure includes 3,242 investigations that were specifically for litter investigations only. 

Please see below table of fines issued for the period 2022- 2024 which is divided into South Dublin County Council’s designated litter warden areas. 

If there are specific concerns relating to Fast Food Outlets and litter, please contact the Enforcement and Licensing section directly and the matter will be investigated further. Alternatively, complaints can be logged through the SDCC Environmental Complaints System.

Litter Warden Area	2022	2023	2024	Total
Lucan	70	88	43	201
Clondalkin	126	116	93	335
West Tallaght	178	163	160	501
Saggart/Newcastle/E Tallaght	89	87	35	211
Templeogue/Walkinstown	54	45	66	165
Total	517	499	397	1413