Local Fine Gael Councillor, John Dolan, has called upon the local authority to establish a scheme which will enable relevant personnel to conduct household calls requesting proof of litter disposal in an attempt to reduce the persistent issue of illegal dumping.
Cllr Dolan was speaking at the most recent meeting of Westmeath County Council where he raised the motion amongst his fellow elected representatives and local authority executive.
“I previously submitted a motion about this issue at Athlone-Moate Municipal District level, but I was then of the view that the topic necessitated debate within the County Council chamber as it is consistently problematic throughout Westmeath.
“Illegal dumping is a serious problem and ties up a large amount of the Council’s time and resources which could and should be used to enhance alternative local authority services.
“I am proposing the allocation of a budget to put a dedicated team together to conduct door to door calls asking for proof of proper disposal of their household waste.
“Anyone who does the right thing by either using a registered contractor, going to a facility themselves or proof of recycling has nothing to fear from having a Council person calling.
“My proposal is targeted at those who continue to dump their rubbish indiscriminately throughout our county and making them accountable for their actions.
“Westmeath County Council have always assisted various clean-ups and our environment section, through Ruth Maxwell, has always been a great support, with the latest ‘Green Kilometre’ scheme a great success, but we have to stop the littering and dumping happening in the first place.
“My initiative will help the Council get to the root of the problem and be proactive in preventing this disgraceful behaviour in our county,” Cllr Dolan asserted.
