FINE Gael councillor Liam Galvin wants Limerick City and County Council to have the power to issue commercial and household waste collection licences in its catchment area.
Speaking at this Monday’s meeting of the council’s Environment Strategic Policy Committee, Cllr Galvin hit out at those responsible for illegal dumping along the Great Southern Greenway.
He described the act of dumping household furniture along railway tracks on a section of the off-road walking route as “vandalism” and “blackguarding”.
“This is totally uncalled for. What can we do?” the Abbeyfeale man asked the council executive.
“One or two people are continually doing this and making a fortune disposing of rubbish free of charge rather than at landfill. We can’t allow this to continue. We need to come up with a plan to stop illegal dumping,” he added.
He went onto suggest that the power to issue waste licences should be with the local authority.
“At the moment the only qualification needed to obtain a licence from an office in Offaly is to have a car and car trailer. It is totally nonsensical. No effort is being made. These people have a blatant disregard.”
Deputy Mayor Adam Teskey supported Cllr Galvin and claimed illegal dumping was taking place throughout the county on national roads. He told council officials that he had recently filmed the driver of an English registered car illegally dumping outside his home.
Independent councillor Richard O’Donoghue took the view that it is purely a matter of “connecting the dots”.
“We need to close this down. We need to connect the dots across society and find out where it is falling down. Whether you are on social welfare, a taxpayer, or a council tenant, everyone is accountable across the board,” Cllr O’Donoghue said.
Director of Physical Development, Brian Kennedy said that 60 to 70 per cent of households in Limerick currently have bin services and the system for issuing waste disposal licences was a national system.
“The current system is broken down and is not working. Can we not write to the Minister and ask that the job of issuing licences falls under the remit of the Councils? Cllr Galvin asked.
