Fine Gael councillor Noreen Heston has come up with an interesting suggestion to tackle the problem of litter within the county. She put down a motion which was due to be debated at Castlebar Town Council’s meeting last night (Thursday ) calling on Mayo County Council to make the facilities at the council’s landfill sites free to all residents of the county for one week.
Councillor Heston says she is dismayed by the extent of wanton dumping which is rampant all over the county. “It is disappointing to come across rubbish dumped on the roadside. Very often one is shocked and disgusted to see some of the most scenic parts of the countryside being spoiled by mindless dumping of all kinds of rubbish. Much of the great work which is being done to promote walking in the county is being undermined by the irresponsible behaviour of those who dump rubbish under the cloak of darkness,” said Cllr Heston.
“Huge sums of money have been spent on educating people on the ills of illegal dumping and encouraging people to be litter conscious. Indeed l am very aware of the valuable work being done in this area by schools. In spite of this one sees a proliferation of dumping throughout the county. I believe that the time has come for all four local authorities to unite in an all-out campaign to catch and prosecute everyone involved in illegal dumping,” she continued.
However, before embarking on what Cllr Heston termed a “determined onslaught on illegal dumpers”, she said it would be wise to give everyone an opportunity to use the facilities at the council’s landfill dumps free of charge for one week.
“After all, twice our Government have given tax defaulters an opportunity to put their affairs in order before imposing severe penalties. I think we should apply the same logic to the problem of litter and illegal dumping by making this concession for one week. After that there should be no mercy for anyone who destroys our environment by dumping,” concluded Cllr Heston.
