SOUTH Dublin County Council has confirmed that it is investigating a number of illegal waste operators following reports of dumping in north Clondalkin.
Cllr Matthew McDonagh (SF) said he was aware that in recent months there has been a marked increase in levels of illegal dumping in the area.
He also claimed that organised criminal enterprises were going door to door collecting rubbish and then dumping the household waste in parks and laneways throughout Clondalkin.
He said that in the last few weeks areas such as Wheatfield, Oatfield and the pedestrian gate between Collinstown and Palmerstown Woods have all been badly affected.
In response to this he said the council has allocated extra resources to cleaning up the dumping. Cllr McDonagh has also asked the County Manager, Philomena Poole, to bring a report to the next Clondalkin Area Committee on the cost of the clean-up operation.
“In the long run, the only people who lose out from the dumping are the local community,
? he said.
“We have to live with the aftermath.
“We are also the ones who will lose out on other services as money has to be diverted to cover the cost of clearing up the illegal dumping.
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He added:
“I am appealing to local people not to use the services of rogue bin collectors.
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David Graham, the manager of Quarryvale community centre, said he had noticed that dumping had increased in and around the centre in recent months.
However, he said that dumping was a much more serious problem in nearby Quarryvale Park, just off the Fonthill Road.
“The centre backs on to Quarryvale Park,
? he said.
“Just by looking at it you can see there is quite a lot of dumping in the park and on some of the grass areas.
“I have heard of vans coming into the area and dumping whatever they have over the small wall into the park and, on some occasions, just dumping it on to the path.
“I have seen waste dumped along the pathways and in the park.
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A spokesperson for the council said five illegal waste operators were under investigation in the county.
The council had received five complaints about illegal dumping in the Clondalkin area since the beginning of this year
“The council’s litter warden service and cleansing crew are active in the area,
? the spokesperson said.
A spokesperson at the Garda press office said that investigations regarding illegal waste operators were generally a matter for the local authority in the administrative area of which the alleged offences had occurred.