ILLEGAL DUMPING HAS reached “epidemic proportions” in the Finglas area of Dublin, a Fianna Fáil local area representative has said.
David Costello told TheJournal.ie that he is concerned about the amount of rubbish dumped illegally throughout the area, and that a number of blackspots have emerged. He is now calling on Dublin City Council and Department of the Environment to establish a taskforce on the issue.
He said that he has met with local residents, who are “up in arms” over the situation. According to Costello, the area surrounding the vacant maisonettes on the Finglaswood road is one particular blackspot.
He also said that the cost of dealing with illegal dumping in the Finglas and Ballymun area has increased 360 per cent since 2010.
City Council
Costello commented:
Dublin City Council were made aware of the problem in this area and while a clean up has taken place in recent weeks, the problem has now spread to the other end of Finglaswood road, between Mellows road Kildonon drive. Dumping is concentrated in the laneway behind and in the gardens of vacant Dublin City Council maisonettes.
The Finglas native said: “It’s hard to believe that people are just dumping rubbish in their neighbour’s gardens.”
What makes it even more unbelievable is that area is located within a stone’s throw of both Finglas Garda Station and Dublin City Council Offices.
The bin waiver scheme for low income households “helped to prevent this problem” in the past, but this scheme was abolished in the Dublin City Council budget for 2012.
Costello said that Dublin City Council had cleaned up some areas, but then the dumping began again in other areas. “Six weeks ago the council cleared up one full section of it – the problem is now just moved further up the road, about 50 yards up the road,” he said.
According to Costello, the neighbours believe that the dumping is by people from the locality, rather than outsiders. Costello believes one of the solutions is to try and engage residents to take ownership of the area, and they are looking to meet with the council to encourage residents to take part in the upcoming tidy towns competition.
The council’s hands are tied – people now are clever enough and don’t leave identifiable material in their rubbish any more. The council do proactively check the waste that they pick up.
The council have a policy on removing public bins in Finglas West because people were dumping their household waste into them, which meant they had to be emptied every day. Costello believes this could also be contributing to the illegal dumping.
“Ninety nine per cent of residents in Ballymun look after rubbish and pay for their bins,” said Costello. “Unfortunately a small minority of people dumping rubbish causes a big visual problem in the area.”
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