Council profits from crackdown on illegal waste activity

Clare County Council is to step up its monitoring of illegal waste activity such as fly- tipping and backyard burning of waste after three successful prosecutions.


Earlier this month the council secured three separate prosecutions in East and West Clare in relation to the illegal disposal of waste at Ennis District Court. The court imposed heavy fines and awarded costs to the council, averaging over €2,000 in each case.

Waste enforcement staff at the council have expanded their inspections and patrols in areas vulnerable to illegal dumping to night-time and weekends. Enforcement work is carried out in conjunction with other local authorities, the Gardaí and other state agencies, and the council also is utilising CCTV surveillance.

The council’s executive engineer Robert Burns said that despite the good progress made, illegal dumping and fly-tipping of waste remain an on-going problem in the county.

“Councils want to send out a clear message to anyone involved in illegal waste activity that they will be pursued to the fullest extent possible under the law and, if detected, could be subject to a fine of up to €3,000 and a prison sentence of up to 12 months if found guilty at the district court,” he said.

Maxine Perella

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