The news that legislation allowing CCTV footage to be used to combat illegal dumping will be in place by summer, has been welcomed.
CCTV has long been advocated as a way to combat fly-tipping at blackspots, but concerns about data protection have stymied its usage.
Councillor Alan Cheevers said that illegal dumping is a huge issue in the city, and that he was pleased to see the government priortising it.
“This is an issue of real concern to every local authority and to local Councillors as well as Tidy Towns Groups and Development Committees across the country.”
The measures to combat fly-tipping are part of the Circular Economy Bill published by the government this week.
The Bill, which also encourages the reuse and recycling of resources, will be introduced to the Oireachtas in the coming weeks.
“Government is now prioritising this issue and I’m happy that they are taking on board the measures set on the Bill,” Alan Cheevers said.
“In theory, there was no difficulty for local authorities to use CCTV or drones or other technologies to try deter environmental crimes but without underpinning legislation, there are data protection concerns.”
A survey of all local authorities by Senator Malcolm Byrne last year estimated that the cost of cleaning up dumping and littering nationally runs to roughly €90-100 million.
