The unsightly scene caused by illegal dumping along Magheramore Road just off the M6 towards Mount Temple was the focus of much attention at the recent monthly meeting of Athlone Municipal District.
Raising the motion, Cllr. John Dolan made distinct reference to the inordinate litter levels which local residents were forced to clean up in recent days.
“The illegally dumped rubbish, which occurs along the Magheramore Road on an ongoing basis, raises the ire, understandably, of the residents and the community spirit was prevalent as they united to clear the scene,” Cllr. Dolan remarked.
In this instance, Cllr. Dolan expressed his desire that CCTV should be installed along the road, the purpose of which would be to ensure illegal dumping is nullified.
“This is a valid issue. The erection of CCTV cameras in the are would definitely act as a deterrent and it is a particular area which we should be consistently monitoring. I would suggest that the Council seek to buy a CCTV system, as the deterrent mechanism is only enacted in response to such occurrences,” Cllr. Dolan added.
Concurring, Cllr. Paul Hogan, noted that CCTV cameras should be used on a more regular basis, particularly with reference to certain black spots within Athlone and its environs which are notorious for illegal dumping.
“We need to catch the relevant people in the act of illegal dumping and prosecute accordingly,” Cllr. Hogan reflected.
Commending the united effort of the Magheramore Road residents, Cllr. Michael O’Brien stated that illegal dumping in the location was an ongoing issue.
“I was present in recent days lending my assistance to the local residents as they cleaned up the unsightly scene. We gathered a lot of tyres, glass and plastic bottles along the stretch of road. Sadly, we are living in a dirty country and as a local authority, together with the Government, this litter issue needs an effective united approach and I would ask that the Council erect signs in this particular vicinity to act as a future deterrent to illegal dumpers,” Cllr. O’Brien concluded.
Director of Services, Barry Kehoe, in response, noted that the erection of appropriate signage would be a “useful and positive” step.
“The Government are allocating €3m to an anti-litter initiative which hopefully will have the desired effect when implemented, but as a local authority we will do what we can to halt illegal dumping,” the Director of Services claimed.
