Woman convicted and fined over rubbish dumped at bring bank in Waterford

A woman who was convicted of a littering offence following the discovery of bags of rubbish at a bring bank Waterford city has been ordered to pay more than €1,200 in fines and cost

The woman was prosecuted by the local authority for an offence under the Litter Pollution Act 1997 after she failed to pay an on-the-spot arising from a detection at Barrack Street, Waterford last year.

Commenting following the conclusion of the court proceedings, a spokesperson for the council said: "In March 2023, an environmental inspector for Waterford City and County Council removed and searched a number of bags which had been left at the Bring Bank and found evidence linked to the woman."

The spokesperson confirmed a litter fine was initially issued but that it remained unpaid.  "On foot of this, a prosecution was then taken to the district court." 

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In court, solicitor Hilary Delahunty entered a guilty plea on behalf of her client while Eoin O’Herlihy acting on behalf of Waterford City and County Council. outlined the facts of the case and showed photographs to Judge Kevin Staunton. 

Having accepted the guilty plea, the judge imposed a fine of €150 and ordered that the woman pay €1,085 towards the council's costs.

Niall Kane, Senior Executive Engineer in the Environment Section of Waterford City and County Council, commented: "The penalty imposed here would have paid for a bin service for a number of years.  Illegally dumping your waste will cost more in the long run.  People who get a litter fine have 21 days to pay and if they don’t pay within this period, they face prosecution and much higher costs on conviction."