CCTV sought in Tipperary communities at bottle and clothes banks blighted by dumping

Councillors complained of overflowing clothes and bottle banks drawing illegal littering in several east Tipperary communities at Carrick-on-Suir Municipal District’s January meeting.

Fine Gael Cllr Mark Fitzgerald repeated the appeal he issued six months ago for the clothes bank at Fethard Ballroom Car Park to be relocated due to the litter and rodents it was attracting.

The Cloneen councillor also requested the Council to contact the company operating the banks to get them emptied more often.

And Fianna Fáil Cllr Imelda Goldsboro called for mobile CCTV cameras to be moved around to bottle banks in different communities blighted by illegal dumping.

She said bottle banks in Killenaule were full and becoming unsightly and the bottle banks in Glengoole were another area were a lot of people were leaving bags.

As well as seeking mobile CCTV cameras, she asked if the Council could review the locations of the banks.
Meanwhile, Labour Cllr Michael ‘Chicken’ Brennan highlighted that a clothes bank in a car park in Killenaule was located on a disabled parking space in a car park and called for it to be moved to another location in the town.

Michael Moroney of Tipperary County Council’s Environment & Climate Change Section advised the public to hold onto bags of clothes or bottles if they find a bottle or clothes bank is full.

“If there is dumping occurring, we ask the public and councillors to let us know,” he said.

He pointed out the second hand textiles market has collapsed internationally and the impact of this was going to be felt locally.

In relation to calls to move clothes and bottle banks, he said they are situated in places that are accessible to the public, which means they are also in the public eye. Relocating those that were full and becoming unsavoury looking was only moving the problem elsewhere.

He said the Council was hopeful of moving forward with setting up mobile CCTV cameras at recycling bring centres attracting illegal dumping this year. A new code of practice for their use is being drawn up.