Less than half of all fines for littering in Galway were paid last year.
People Before Profit representative Joe Loughnane said it came as no surprise that only 45% of Galway people paid thier fines, and blamed the council for not tackling the causes of littering.
The local activist said that the biggest cause of the dumping of household waste has been the privatisation of waste collection and the rising prices that have accompanied it.
He added that his party warned at the time that increased illegal dumping would be the inevitable result of privatisation.
Joe Loughnane said: “Waste collection is a vital public service, necessary for the health of people and the environment. For decades it was a free service paid for by the government, recognising its importance in keeping our streets clean.
“The people of Galway have shown that they will use the recycling facilities if they are available. But due to the shortage it can be difficult for people to bring their recycling to the nearest location. This leads to increased amounts of waste that could be recycled going to landfill or being dumped illegally.”
