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'I've had enough': Hundreds of complaints about foul odours across the country

Many of the complaints related to the burning of rubbish by their neighbours.

IN THE FIRST ten months of this year, there were more than 750 complaints about odours across the country.

Many of these complaints related to refuse burning, while others came from people living close to wastewater treatment or manufacturing plants.

Figures provided to TheJournal.ie by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Freedom of Information Act reveal there were 755 odour complaints in total from January to November this year.

135 calls to the National Environmental Complaints Line were about smoke or fumes odours, with 42 of those coming from people in Dublin.

There were 127 complaints made through the ’See it? Say it’ app and the majority of these were about rubbish burning. Many people reported their neighbours for burning refuse in their gardens or on their land.

‘Attracting vermin’

In Longwood, Co Meath, one person complained that their neighbour regularly burns materials in his back garden: “The smoke is very black and blows into our estate.”

Another complainant in Limekilnhill had a similar complaint: “My neighbours are burning rubbish in their home. This is an ongoing issue. I have tried to explain that this is bad for the environment and illegal but it continues to happen.”

One person in Moorland, Co Louth, complained that their neighbour had been asked to stop burning rubbish in his garden and to use his bins instead, but he argued that “he has a right to do what he wants on his property”.

I have reported him by email last summer to the local authorities, who ignored it. His other habits include dumping food into a hole in the garden attracting vermin. He works selling food from a van and finds it cheaper to burn his waste. I have further pictures which show him and the fire clearly, which can not upload here. As this is an ongoing issue during the dry weather I would be grateful if it could be dealt with this time.

Another complaint of this kind reported someone was burning “large amounts, tonnes and tonnes of what appears to be building waste every few days”.

Has been going on for years, but now I’ve had enough. Acrid thick smoke usually blows straight at my house.

In Enniskerry, Co Wicklow, one person reported a “continuous odour of rubbish” which they said was “not the overwhelming stench that happens frequently, but a sustained smell that prevents smelling anything else”.

Manufacturing and landfills

In one of the more unusual complaints, one person reported that foxes had been “shot and laid out as trophies two metres from the road”. They described the “smell of decay” and expressed concern about children and tourists being confronted by the sight and smell of the dead animals.

Between January and November, there were 33 complaints about odours connected to wastewater treatment, including ten reports about the plant in Balbriggan between 8 September and 5 October.

Most of these complaints came from the Educate Together school in Skerries. The likely cause was plant equipment maintenance or breakdown.

The majority of complaints, 369 in total, dealt with by the EPA related to licences sites like manufacturing plants and landfill sites.

There were 50 complaints about the Arrow Group’s meat processing plant in Waterford over the last year. In many cases, issues with the abatement equipment at the plant were cited as the likely cause of the odour.

There were also 29 complaints about the Ballynagran landfill in Wicklow, 24 complaints about the landfill site in Castlebar and eight reports about Knockharley landfill in Dublin during that period.

Read: Planning denied for controversial Wexford sludge site over ‘risk to public health’>

Read: ‘We got one up on them’: Wexford sludge row continues as company ordered to cease work>

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10 Comments
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    Mute The Guru
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    Feb 5th 2017, 7:26 AM

    Typical of this inept government. Tinkering around the edges with policies that cost a lot and deliver very little.

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    Mute Trisha Tully
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    Feb 5th 2017, 9:34 AM

    They had many debates about this in the Dail bar.

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    Mute Suzie Sunshine
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    Feb 5th 2017, 10:00 AM

    Are they going to set an example and ban drinking while they’re working in the Dail. . If one of us was drinking on the job we’d be sacked ..

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    Mute joe o hare
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    Feb 5th 2017, 10:59 AM

    @Suzie Sunshine: That is a scurrilous remark and I want you to withdraw it, unless you can show evidence of any TDs working in the dail

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    Mute Suzie Sunshine
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    Feb 5th 2017, 11:24 AM

    Joe..I burst out laughing when I read your comment.!

    33
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    Mute Trisha Tully
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    Feb 6th 2017, 8:36 AM

    So did I Suzie Sunshine.

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    Mute Ciaran Peavoy
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    Feb 5th 2017, 7:51 AM

    We can go as far as banning advertising completely and it will make little difference, it’s our attitude to alcohol we need to change in this country. Most of us are guilty of having a bad attitude towards it and it’s passed down from generation to generation. We need stricter laws that stop the sale of alcohol to those who are already drunk, to those who sell or buy alcohol for minors.

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    Mute Pauliebhoy
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    Feb 5th 2017, 8:42 AM

    And at what level is someone drunk?

    32
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    Mute Ciaran Peavoy
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    Feb 5th 2017, 10:29 AM

    When they cannot string a sentence together or stand up straight.

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    Mute John Scott
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    Feb 5th 2017, 8:54 AM

    Leo not a word about the cheap drink that all the TDs seem to have a given right . Fail Bar, not a word. So more do as I say not as I do.

    109
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    Mute Fionn Bohane
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    Feb 5th 2017, 7:44 AM

    Banning alcohol sponsorship in sport is risky business , look what happened snooker and its prize no.ey when cigarettes advertising went away. Instead of imposing regulations, could they not just educate kids on the importance of responsible drinking? They never come up with new or outside of the box ideas. Regulate and tax is all we get from them.

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    Mute Larry O'Doherty
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    Feb 5th 2017, 8:43 AM

    Need a drink after the length of that article!

    98
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    Mute Charles Coughlan
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    Feb 5th 2017, 8:09 AM

    The government’s actions will definitely result in increased revenue for the government and increased taxes for the rest of us.

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    Mute TellingItAsItIs
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    Feb 5th 2017, 10:04 AM

    But what about the ban on gambling advertising!? Our sneakiest sickness.

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    Mute Gerry Ryan
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    Feb 5th 2017, 4:45 PM

    Or a tax on betting

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    Mute TellingItAsItIs
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    Feb 5th 2017, 11:35 PM

    That wouldn’t work. Kids will still be seduced by the sexy betting ads. Paddy Power etc are masters at selling gambling as fun n hip.

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    Mute mickmc
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    Feb 5th 2017, 8:22 AM

    You could argue that hiding alcohol away, not having it in your face will leave it a mystery product to the youth. Something to be tried at the first opportunity and let’s face it, it readily available in a lot of home. As far as I know there is not such a problem in France, Spain Portugal etc where they alcohol is more socially accepted. Children are allowed drink from an earlier age and thus you have to sneak around doing it in fields etc.

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    Mute Patrick
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    Feb 5th 2017, 7:55 AM

    Every time a child plays sport they see drink advertising if their local club has a bar. Are they going to close those or remove all advertising? Would it not be smarter that the advertising companies should pay for the pro players to go round the schools to young kids and teach them to play sports and be healthy and responsible.

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    Mute John Considine
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    Feb 5th 2017, 8:05 AM

    @Patrick, why would an advertising company do that?

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    Mute Patrick
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    Feb 5th 2017, 8:09 AM

    Well if you offer the advertising company to choose between losing baord space and paying a premium for hotzones or to pay for a campaign as I stated, which one do you think they would choose?

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    Mute bings
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    Feb 5th 2017, 10:03 AM

    @Patrick: The gov couldn’t allow advertising companies to pay pro players to go to schools to teach kids & teenagers to play sports as the gov are not pro players. They couldn’t claim this idea back on expenses or get more tax from the pro players. This gov are only interested in themselves.

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    Mute Niall O D
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    Feb 5th 2017, 10:04 AM

    the advertising and drinks industry are already doing this with their farcical drink aware campaign, another government backed scheme where they give the drinks industry itself free reign on how to tell people how to drink ‘responsibly’. that was always going to end up being the monumental success it is now.

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    Mute Patrick
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    Feb 5th 2017, 10:39 AM

    @Niall O D drinkaware is not the same. It does not target young people specifically.(under 18-21) What the government are asking is not workable and will cost investment in sport and could increase cost to business. Positive role models are needed in alot of homes that do not have any. I still see teenagers smoking.What ad influenced them? Education and changing atttitude is the answer.

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    Mute tommy dunne
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    Feb 5th 2017, 3:39 PM

    Will they stop people watching bbc where drink is advertised

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    Mute Michael Clinton
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    Feb 5th 2017, 10:00 AM

    Pure joke , lead by example and get rid of the dail bar. How can anybody take them seriously when they are making decisions that affect the lives of everyone in Ireland while they have a use the subsidised bar.

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    Mute Charley Brady
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    Feb 5th 2017, 10:33 AM

    @Michael Clinton: Beat me to it, Michael. I would imagine that there has been a great deal of alcohol-related harm done to the country by TDs making decisions whilst under the influence in a place of ‘work’. If they’re in any way serious — and of course, they’re not, this is just another distraction — then let them get their own subsidised house in order first.

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    Mute James
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    Feb 5th 2017, 1:52 PM

    They should also remove the law which allows TD to drive drunk as long as they’re on their way to the Dail. A Dr’s not allowed to get away with it neither should they.

    12
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    Mute Neal, not Neil.
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    Feb 5th 2017, 7:42 AM

    Once again, only the privileged well-off will be allowed the basic human right to destroy their lives and families.

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    Mute Anto Curran
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    Feb 5th 2017, 8:49 AM

    Seeing what your parents drink is all the advertising companies need. You are going to see the brands at home so it as you’re growing up is what you’ll be used to see so when old enough (or not in most cases) it’s what you’ll initially want to drink. Nothing the government can do about that.

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    Mute bings
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    Feb 5th 2017, 10:00 AM

    We have schools in the center of towns, cities, villages all over Ireland. Are we going to close or move the pubs, hotels so that they are not within 200m of the schools. These businesses will have advertising on or outside their premises. Putting cigarettes behind a screan did nothing for smoking. You will never stop people smoking, drinking this gov needs to get their heads out of their ass and do thier job that they are well paid for.

    18
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    Mute Derry Buckley
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    Feb 5th 2017, 11:39 AM

    Bull more nanny state carp. There are much more important thing to do.

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    Mute Alan Wallace
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    Feb 5th 2017, 1:59 PM

    all alcohol advertising should be banned. Alcohol is a poison and highly addictive drug that destroys lives and it shouldn’t be glamorized.

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    Mute Kieran Jones
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    Feb 5th 2017, 4:00 PM

    Than god you’re not in charge Alan !

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    Mute Bairéid Rísteard
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    Feb 5th 2017, 1:51 PM

    Booze is one of the biggests cons of our time in my opinion. I find the stuff very addictive and I’d have a good amount of will power in general.

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    Mute Anthony Ross
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    Feb 5th 2017, 9:21 AM

    This is fine but for years we have been selling drink to cheap in shops this needs to stop maybe we are to late

    8
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    Mute Jake Gundersonn
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    Feb 5th 2017, 2:26 PM

    Fact: The Irish like to drink . Bitta craic like
    The left: let’s take it away from them because other countries don’t think that way .

    6
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    Mute The Grand O'Malley
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    Feb 5th 2017, 1:22 PM

    Banning alcohol ads on the radio from 10 am to 3pm. What moron thought that would help. Most sober children are in school during those hours

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    Mute Warthog
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    Feb 5th 2017, 5:15 PM

    PC nonsense. It’s “my body” I can put into or take out of it what I want right?

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    Mute Jeffrey McMahon
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    Feb 5th 2017, 11:04 AM

    Hmm. I see a potential flaw in imposing the advertising watershed. Especially when they include indirect advertising. This would impact anti drink driving adverts.

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    Mute Michael Lynch
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    Feb 5th 2017, 3:24 PM

    Anyone connected to the alcoholic beverages industry—- We have your money, you have your piss.

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    Mute Gerard Heery
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    Feb 5th 2017, 8:43 PM

    How do you make sustance more popular among the youth ? Ban it ! Nanny state ,trying to change nappys in the wind .

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    Mute David Alan
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    Apr 10th 2017, 7:31 PM

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    and be cured from your herpes. I thank Dr lucky make God bless you for your herbal work.

    1
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    Mute Paddy Farrell
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    Feb 5th 2017, 11:05 AM

    Seems obvious Irish teenagers prefer illicit drugs to alcohol above our European neighbors .

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    Mute Victoria Elisbelth
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    Feb 8th 2017, 12:51 PM

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    1
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