Date: 12 April 2022
Green Party TD, Steven Matthews has urged locals to take a stand against illegal dumping in Wicklow. Speaking following the announcement of a new law that will allow Wicklow CoCo to use CCTV cameras in dumping blackspots, Deputy Matthews has called for all incidents of dumping to be reported immediately and has committed to working with the council to highlight areas of particular concern. Discussing the issue, Deputy Matthews said:
“This is a massive issue across Wicklow, and I am calling on people to identify areas that are blackspots for illegal dumping and fly-tipping. The newly launched Circular Economy Bill will enable local councils to install CCTV in areas where illegal dumping is pervasive and often undetected. This is an important measure which will lead to more prosecutions and fines for illegal dumping and hopefully deter others from repeating the same actions. Illegal dumping is a scourge on our towns, villages and scenic areas in Wicklow and a harm both to our environment and human health.”
“In the last year alone, the Pure Project collected 144 tonnes of illegal dumped waste from 800 sites in the Wicklow/Dublin Uplands. I was delighted to be able to work with Pure to guarantee their funding for the coming years, but they can’t do it alone – they need the support of the community in calling out this disgusting practice. This doesn’t even begin to take into account the amount of waste removed directly by the council or community groups.
“If there are areas in your locality that are blackspots for illegal dumping, please drop me an email and I will work with Wicklow County Council to try and secure funding for increased monitoring, CCTV cameras and to arrange clean-ups in the area. Finally, I would like to thank the residents’ groups, Tidy Towns branches and particularly the Pure Mile Project for all their work in organising litter picks, clean-ups and anti-dumping campaigns and carrying out research into local wildflowers, plants, trees, animals, and the built, cultural, and social heritage of different areas. This is much-appreciated, they are a credit to our local communities in Wicklow.”
Please note that there is a new lo-call phone number for reporting illegal dumping in the Wicklow/Dublin Uplands, and they can now be contacted on 1800 365 123. If you would like to get in touch with Deputy Matthews, please email steven.matthews@oireachtas.ie.
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