Roadside checkpoints are to be deployed by the Galway County Council and An Garda Síochána as part of efforts to combat illegal dumping in the vicinity of the Headford Road.
The installation of checkpoints follows the dumping of large amounts of household and industrial waste close to a number of bog roads off the N84, including those at Curraghmore, Sylane, and Coarsefield. There are also plans for CCTV cameras, anti-dumping barriers, signage, and environmental clean-up operations at a number of sites along the N84 in response to incidents of illegal dumping.
Anti-dumping barriers have already been erected at Curraghmore and Sylane, while agreements have been reached with landowners for the erection of barriers elsewhere. The Galway County Council also intends to apply for Government funding designated for use in tackling illegal dumping.
Fine Gael Galway West TD Hildegarde Naughton, who has engaged with the county council on this issue, has alleged that the volume and type of waste discovered suggests "bogus waste collectors" are "operating on a large scale" and are "among those dumping at the locations". She also noted that "illegal dumping has been a persistent problem in these areas".
The deployment of roadside checkpoints is intended to identify such operators. “The remoteness of certain areas have made them difficult to police for fly-tipping and illegal dumping, but checkpoints and CCTV cameras are two measures that can counteract this," she said. “Ultimately, effective prevention measures will be in place and existing waste will be removed. I am confident these proposals represent a solution and we can look forward to restoring the natural beauty of the area."
