A recent clean up of illegally dumped rubbish at Ballybeg’s Link Road cost the City Council €11,000, shocked Council members were told at their April meeting last Monday night. And they were further informed that the operation now needed to be repeated.
Cllr. David Cullinane raised the matter, as well as that of illegally parked caravans still evident along the road despite efforts by the local authority to have them moved. He said it was most unfair to local residents.
Collette Byrne, Planning and Environment Director, said both issues were “ongoing”. Unfortunately, despite the cost, the Council had to clean up the mess as it occurred.
Cllr. Pat Hayes said the problem needed to be dealt with for once and for all. Some hard talking was required and he suggested referring the subject to the planning committee where members could make points they might understandably be reluctant to espouse for public consumption. They could tease out aspects of the matter and return to an open meeting with a united approach. It was now a very serious challenge to the Council.
Deputy Mayor Hilary Quinlan said there was a planning workshop scheduled for next week and that would be a suitable forum at which to debate the matter.
Cllr. Cha O’Neill referred to the fact that CCTV cameras were now in place “out there” and he wondered if they were being utilised.
He was assured that they were.
Tenants responsible for their waste
Meanwhile, Cllr. John Halligan was informed that tenants in private rented accommodation were responsible for disposal of their rubbish.
He said that in some such locations waste mounted up, with neither landlord nor tenant taking responsibility for wheelie bins and tags. He thought owners should be held accountable as tenants were only lodgers and it was difficult to pin them down at times.
But Collette Byrne told him otherwise, although she undertook to double check the situation relating to student tenants.
