AN ENFORCEMENT TEAM could be on the way to tackle the ongoing problem of illegal dumping of rubbish in Dublin’s north inner city area.
The team could be tasked with calling to people’s homes and undertaking surveillance of areas where illegal rubbish is a major problem.
Brendan Hayden, Assistant Area Manager of the central area in Dublin City Council, and member of the North Inner City Litter Action Group which was set up by Dublin City Council (DCC), told TheJournal.ie that discussions are underway on the setting up of such a team.
He said that he believed enforcement is one of the main ways that the illegal dumping on the capital’s streets can be tackled, and that the council needs to take a “strong hand in relation to enforcement”.
He said this could mean singling out streets that are deemed to be litter blackspots or illegal dumping blackspots, and there could be “a crew of people who will monitor that area over a period of time”.
Initiatives
NICLAG has introduced a number of initiatives, including a poster campaign, and in its monthly reports to the council – the next of which is in July – continues to suggest ways to reduce the level of illegal dumping in the north inner city area.
Hayden said that “calling to people’s houses asking people about who have they got their collection with” is one way to make a major impact, and that there needs to be strong enforcement of new by-laws and existing by-laws.
New by-laws on the storage, presentation and collection of household and commercial waste were issued recently by DCC.
Hayden said the council will “lose out if we are not in a position to enforce [the by-laws]“.
Discussions
Discussions are underway within the council about the setting up of the enforcement team, and whether the staff would come from within the council or whether the jobs would be outsourced.
Hayden said the idea is being considered at the moment as to whether litter wardens and waste management staff would be happy being part of an enforcement team or “if there are aspects of it over and above that the litter wardens can’t take on”.
“There must be some level of surveillance and inspection of what is going on,” said Hayden.
So the minute something occurs [we] can hone in on it.
The enforcement could involve examining waste or people knocking on doors, said Hayden. He said that if the council has a clear indication that people in certain houses are creating difficulties “that we have the power and we have authorised staff that are prepared and willing to knock [on doors]” but added it is “not an easy job” and there could potentially be issues with staff regarding health and safety.
“It is being looked at from the council’s point of view,” he said, and the area manager and waste management are looking at it. “[It]would involve talks with the current litter wardens,” he said.
It could also mean talks with the unions in relation to the change we would be suggesting.
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