Cork TD says CCTV not a full deterrent to dumping

CCTV cameras alone will not stop illegal dumping, a Sinn Féin TD and councillors have said in a submission to Cork City Council.

TD for Cork North Central Thomas Gould, along with Cork City councillors Michelle Gould, Kenneth Collins, and Joe Lynch, suggested the council seek funding from the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications to establish a multi-agency Dumping Taskforce.

Though they added that the party “strongly support the use of CCTV” to prevent illegal dumping and littering on Ballyvolane Rd and across the city, the council should go beyond “reactive measures” and look at the root causes of dumping in order to prevent it.

Publishing the party’s submission, Mr Gould said: “Installing CCTV on the Ballyhooly road is a step forward, but it is also not the panacea for all dumping in Cork city or even the north-east.

“We need to see multiple targeted interventions to prevent this. Some of this must involve making waste collection easier by taking back control of our waste services and reducing the opportunities for dumping by bringing vacant homes back to use.” 

He continued: “We know that currently empty council, and privately-owned homes, are magnets for dumping. Leaving them to rot for years on end damages communities and, when used for dumping, causes public health and environmental concerns.

“We also believe that regeneration of green spaces used for dumping would reduce the potential opportunities. These projects could be further progressed through the development of a Dumping Taskforce.”

Ms Gould added: “I was really pleased to work on this submission, as I feel we need to be offering solutions to council at every opportunity. While others might be happy to list the problems, Sinn Féin have the ideas and the ambition to solve them.

“I know from speaking to people that dumping can be really disheartening for communities who do their best

. Not only does it destroy green spaces and ruin the image of an area, it attracts rats and other vermin.

“I hope that the installation of CCTV on the Ballyhooly Rd is part of a much larger initiative to finally target dumping hotspots.”