More money needed to tackle illegal dumping in Limerick

Some of the rubbish that was dumped at the Rhebogue entrance to the Canal Bank.
Some of the rubbish that was dumped at the Rhebogue entrance to the Canal Bank.

LABOUR Party Local Election candidate for City North, Conor Sheehan has called on Environment Minister Richard Bruton to allocate more money to crack down on illegal dumping.

“Last year, the then Environment Minister Denis Naughten allocated nearly €40,000 to target illegal dumping. While that allocation was welcome and needed, I am calling on Minister Bruton to allocate an increased amount this year,” Mr Sheehan said this week.

“This kind of activity is a stain on our city and county, with my own area of Corbally, and in particular, the Canal Bank, between the city centre and the university, vulnerable to fly tippers.”

The young election hopeful also maintains that it has become more difficult to secure a successful conviction due to the advent of paperless billing, which makes it harder for authorities to identify who dumped the rubbish.

“As recently as last weekend, a bicycle and three full bags of rubbish were found at the Rhebogue entrance to the smarter travel canal, and this is not unusual. An increased allocation from the Department would give the council the resources to install CCTV at this and other dumping black-spots.

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“The Council should also spending an increase in funding to consider employing drones to conduct video surveillance on sites susceptible to fly tipping,” he concluded.

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