Mayo County Council says ‘host of documents’ required for dumping laws

Mayo County Council has said a ‘host of documents and requirements’ must be put in place before any schemes can be legally implemented to combat illegal dumping.

This comment comes as locals in Ballyhaunis have shared their frustrations over illegal dumping taking place at bottle and clothing banks in the area.

Local man William Nestor, told The Mayo News that the issue has been ongoing for several years and has been ‘getting worse as time goes on’.

Despite the council coming and clearing the mess, Mr Nestor described the situation as ‘putting a band-aid on, and it keeps coming off’. 

This became evident as the council cleared up litter around the banks, and two-hours later another fly-tipping of household waste appeared, which included dirty nappies.

_{The Ballyhaunis bottle and clothing banks on Sunday, April 21}

Cameras are operative in the area, however it was questioned whether prosecutions could be made from the footage. 

Mayo County Council have now clarified that recent changes in legislation allows for the lawful use of CCTV, although numerous documents and requirements must be in place before any schemes can be legally implemented.

Commenting on the local people's frustrations, the environmental department at Mayo County Council said that they have distributed information to the public on correct waste management. 

“We have worked with local schools, workplaces, Chamber of Commerce, Tidy Towns and the Family Resource Centre in Ballyhaunis to distribute this information locally. All information on correct waste management has been translated into 8 different languages to meet the needs of all residents of the town,” they wrote.

The council continued to explain that litter incidents are reported and inspected by litter wardens and/or enforcement officers and where evidence is found, it is followed up with appropriate action, however, that credible evidence is rarely recovered.

They added: “The Municipal District office carries out ongoing clean-ups and the warden is notified with every event and attempts to identify the persons involved.”

The council continued by saying they are ‘grateful for the support of the community in Ballyhaunis’ for bringing these incidents to their attention.

They concluded: “We will continue to work closely with the community in ensuring responsible and legal disposal of waste.”