LIMERICK City and County Council has been urged to identify suitable locations throughout the city for the expansion of drop boxes for safe disposal of drug litter.
This comes after one local councillor had to take it upon himself to remove a used needle from a public street.
Speaking at the May monthly meeting of the Metropolitan District, Social Democrats councillor Shane Hickey-O’Mara said that many people have contacted him after finding drug litter in their communities.
Drug paraphernalia, he told Council members, has been found outside local amenities, businesses, carparks, sports stadiums, and tourist attractions.
“I can assure you the issue is widespread,” Cllr Hickey-O’Mara insisted.
“I recently found a needle myself and I tried to ring Limerick Council to organise a collection, but didn’t get through. I had a litter picker at home which I used to pick it up. I placed the needle in a container and decided to drop it into the sharp box outside Limerick Council.”
The City North representative deemed disposing of drug litter as incredibly dangerous and called on the local authority to better inform people of how best approach the issue.
Cllr Elisa O’Donovan (SD) seconded Cllr Hickey-O’Mara’s motion, pointing to a rise in drug litter across the city. She suggested the Council trains its street cleansing department in how best to collect drug litter.
Independent councillor Ursula Gavan deemed drug litter “a scourge on the city and county” and felt anything that can be done, should be done.
