Fly tipping back with a vengeance in Offaly after Covid

Fly tipping is back with a vengeance in Offaly after Covid with 'dashboard diners' littering the countryside.

Councillors raised the longstanding problem of fly tipping during a recent meeting.

Cllr Peter Ormond told the November meeting of Birr Municipal District that fly tipping might have receded a lot during the lockdowns but returned with a vengeance after the ending of the pandemic.

“A lot of this mindless throwing away of rubbish,” said the councillor, “happens after people have been to a takeaway or they have bought food and coffee from a filling station. Discarded coffee cups and takeaway bags are a common sight on our roadsides. There's a huge amount of this roadside littering happening and it's very disappointing to see the level of it. Despite all our public statements, despite all the education in the schools, things haven't improved.”

He said it's not all near towns either, but can be seen three or four miles outside urban areas. The councillor added that it takes a lot of resources to clean it up.

Cllr John Clendennen agreed that it's a big problem. Cllr Clendennen pointed out that he remains convinced that education in schools and through the media are good ways of tackling the issue, “but unfortunately there always seems to be a certain cohort who will fly tip no matter what you say to them. They learn nothing. The only way to tackle these people is through stricter enforcement.”

Cllr John Leahy agreed that stricter enforcement is needed. “We should bring offenders to court. These people need to be named and shamed. If they have to appear in court then they feel shamed by that exposure. More CCTV cameras will pick up more offenders.”

Cllr Leahy added that the three litter wardens in the county are doing “a great job.”

Cllr Clare Claffey pointed out that bins are needed in Banagher Marina.

Mary Hussey, Senior Engineer in the County Council, agreed with the councillors that “dashboard dining is a huge issue."

Cllr Eamon Dooley commented that another unsightly thing on our roads is a significant number of dowdy looking signs or signs pointing the wrong way. “This is not a good look when you are a tourist driving through an area,” said the councillor.