More than 60 per cent of people living in rural Galway believe waste collection services should be taken back into public ownership, and carried out by the local authority.
This view is one of the findings of a major survey into the issue of illegal dumping and waste collection in County Galway, which was conducted by Sinn Féin Galway East representative, Louis O’Hara. More than 300 people across the county participated in the survey.
.
A total of 42 per cent of respondents stated they do not have adequate waste disposal facilities in their local area, with many have to travel long distances to reach their nearest recycling centre; 64 per cent stated that waste collection services should be subsidised, provided free of charge, or taken back into public ownership.
Regarding illegal dumping, 88 per cent of respondents said it was a moderate or serious problem in their local area, wirh 79 per cent stating they see items illegally dumped in their local area at least once a week. Respondents were also unhappy with the lack of accountability for illegal dumping, with 92 per cent stating that the penalties for illegal dumping are not adequately enforced.
.
“The survey results demonstrate clearly what needs to be done to resolve the dumping epidemic,” said Mr O’Hara. “We need waste collection to be taken back into public ownership and provided at a much reduced rate or free of charge. Not only would this remove the cost barrier, but bringing waste collection back under local authority control would mean easily identifying those who are not paying for waste collection. Private providers won’t and can’t do this while local authorities can.”
Mr O’Hara has also called for greater penalties and greater enforcement when it comes to illegal dumping. “The fine of €150 is inadequate, especially when one considers how much households are paying annually for waste collection,” he said.
.
He said local authorities need additional resources to provide more litter wardens who will “educate and enforce on the ground”. He also called for an exemption from GDPR rules so CCTV can be used to identify perpetrators.
Mr O’Hara said the survey also reveals the need for more civic amenity centres across the county, especially in Gort and Loughrea. The survey results will be presented to the Galway County Council and the Minister for the Environment, Darragh O’Brien.
