North Cork Village Enhancement group call for CCTV to tackle illegal dumping

There have been calls for CCTV to tackle illegal dumping, after a North Cork Village Enhancement group reported furniture, electrical and food waste being dumped outside bottle recycling bins.

Teresa Lane, head of the Village Enhancement Group in Rathcormac, told The Echo, “the things they’re dumping are not anything to do with the recycling bins we have, we have glass bins and clothes bins.

“What we’re getting is things like a television, toys, household rubbish, we had a table in pieces dumped at the site, people dump mirrors which the recycling people leave and they just break on the ground.” 

The area is the responsibility of Cork County Council, but the people who pick up the recycling empty the bins and do not clean the area, meaning bottles down the side of the bins are left there, leading to broken glass.

The area is right beside a school also, posing a risk of children falling and cutting themselves on broken glass, plus Ms Lane said, “if teenagers are passing they might give bottles a kick, so it’s dangerous and also just unsightly.” 

She said she thought it was less of a matter of confusion around what the bins are for and more “people just trying to get rid of stuff,” adding that there are signs on the bins clearly displaying what they’re for.

“People always bring over toys and leave them there, but there are signs on the bins saying that they don’t want toys, especially furry toys because of the risk of spreading disease.

“There is a very good St Vincent De Paul shop in the village where they could call in if they’re looking to do a clear out.

Ms Lane said that the group have to clean the area every week, saying “we’d much prefer to be doing other stuff than cleaning up rubbish – we love when people in the community comment on the flowers we’ve planted or painting we’ve done.” 

After posting in a local Facebook group, local Independent councillor William O’Leary got in touch with the council who cleaned the area, with Ms Lane saying “it is the best job we’ve seen in a long, long time.” 

She has called for CCTV cameras in the area, saying that they had a fake one previously that saw a reduction in illegal dumping before a group of teenagers threw rocks at it and broke it.

Shortly after COVID, the council installed a CCTV camera which made a huge difference at the site, but it was removed by the council after a month.

Councillor O’Leary told The Echo that he would appeal to people to “please stop dumping,” as he complimented the group “who do trojan voluntary work in their own time,” saying “when lowlifes carry out illegal dumping like this, it’s a slap in the face to everyone.

“Local authorities do their best, but we need to see CCTV rolled out,” he continued, criticising how slowly the legislation moved through the Oireachtas.

“We can see them ram through legislation when they want to, but important legislation like this takes four years, so it questions the whole process of what legislation the government want to get through.”