THE DUBLIN AND Wicklow mountains are set to be equipped with night vision CCTV cameras to tackle the problem of fly tipping in the region.
The initiative is being overseen by the Protecting Uplands and Rural Environment (PURE) Project. Over the past 10 years, the collaboration between regional county councils, and funded by the government, has removed almost 3,000 tonnes of waste from the region.
The Irish Times reports that common dumping areas such as viewing spots, car parks and entrances to forest tracks will be monitored by the CCTV cameras. The use of night vision will allow the identification, and prosecution, of individuals and small-scale illegal waste collectors illegally dumping in the area.
According to PURE, the problem of litter illegally dumped lessened during the recession, recent years have seen an upsurge in the practice. In initial tests, it was shown that the CCTV could identify vehicles and their registrations effectively.
Ian Davis, project manager at PURE, told 98FM: “There’s been an increase in illegal dumping for definite [...] but the add-on effect of things improving in the economy means that people are starting to do more renovations. This is good, but we are unfortunately finding a lot of larger scale illegal dumping in the uplands.”
Littering in a public place can incur an on-the-spot fine of €150, while a fine as high as €3,000 can be given if found guilty in the High Court.
Fly tipping has been on the increase in Dublin, in general, as recent figures released by Dublin City Council showed a 40% increase in illegal dumping compared to the same period last year.
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