'Lets use cameras to put a stop illegal dumping'
Council under pressure to tackle the problem
CCTV systems should be deployed to tackle illegal dumping across County Kildare.
Kildare County Council is coming under pressure to launch a pilot scheme in areas known to be used for dumping.
Cllr Kevin Duffy said new powers are available to the council and these should be used in a few places to test how effective they are.
Cllr Aoife Breslin pointed out that county councils can now legally use cameras “in the enforcement and prosecution of illegal dumping.”
Up to recently there were concerns within KCC that the use of CCTV to tackle illegal dumping may be compromised by General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). CCTV has been used to monitor and enforce instances of littering and illegal dumping, including at known litter blackspots and some bottle bank locations.
However there were concerns that GDPR meant the processing of data through CCTV poses a risk to the rights and freedoms of individuals, and the council must have a legal basis for processing personal data through the use of CCTV.
Councillors were previously told by KCC official Ken Kavanagh that GDPR significantly increased the obligations and responsibilities for organisations and businesses in how they collect, use and protect personal data.
CCTV can only be deployed if “it can be shown that less intrusive reasonable steps have been taken to deter pollution without any positive impact.”
However, Cllr Breslin said “we’re still no closer” to CCTV being used and at the same time there are not enough staff available to deal with the problem.
“People are calling for it, they want CCTV," she said.
She added the existing regulations “err on the side of caution and this is not helping our communities.”
She accused the council of “hiding behind GDPR '' adding “I’m extremely disappointed for people living in areas that are being dumped upon. All this does is give leeway to people who want to dump.”
KCC official Marian Higgins said three codes of practice are linked to the issue nd KCC is awaiting updated advice