Kilkenny County Council are banking on surveillance cameras at local bottle banks to play a major role in ending problems with illegal dumping in the county.
And the tactic is already paying dividends, with the council successful in fining one perpetrator caught on camera at a city bottle bank.
Ms Mary Nolan of Moonhall, Grangehill, Clara, Co Kilkenny, was fined €400 for a litter offence at Newpark Shopping Centre bottle bank and a further €1,267 for legal fees and investigation costs.
Ms Nolan did not appear in court on February 23, when the case was heard at Kilkenny District Court.
Kilkenny Borough Council’s litter warden gave evidence in court, diplaying CCTV footage which clearly identified the offender.
It showed her depositing rubbish behind the bottle bank after placing her recyclables into the bottle banks in the Newpark Shopping Centre carpark.
“In a bid to stamp out illegal dumping a surveillance company has been hired to monitor the network of bottle banks and other litter black spots around the city and county by Kilkenny Local Authority,” the council’s Environment Awareness Officer revealed.
“The environment enforcement team welcomes this extra resource and considers the additional surveillance measures necessary to deter members of the public who may be tempted to dispose of refuse in an irresponsible manner. From this one surveillance location, over 40 litter fines were issued in a short period of time.
“The councils of the county and city of Kilkenny put considerable resources into maintaining the 43 bring banks in the county.
“Although the vast majority of sites are litter free, illegal dumping does take place from time to time and can detract from the local environs while also imposing clean up costs on the public purse.”
