A survey of the Annaghgorta bog area is to be carried out by Westmeath County Council in the coming weeks, in the hope of addressing the ongoing problem of illegal dumping in the area.
The council has pledged to implement an action plan to address the issue, which has seen the abandonment of materials ranging from household rubbish to asbestos and even animal carcasses in recent months.
The response came after Cllr Frankie Keena, who has raised the issue several times in the council chamber, enquired whether CCTV cameras were to be installed on the public road serving the bog, which lies close to the main Athlone-Mullingar road (R390 ).
However, while the council recognises CCTV as a “useful tool” in addressing illegal dumping, they say only a limited area can be covered at any particular time.
“Westmeath County Council have deployed significant resources over the past couple of years in counteracting illegal dumping in the Annaghgorta Bog area and some improvements have been achieved,” said director of services Barry Kehoe.
“Over the coming weeks we have scheduled a survey of the Annaghorta Bog area and based on this, and available resources and co-operation of the local community, we will implement an action plan to address this illegal activity.”
