A Tipperary resident is facing fines and costs in excess of €4,000 for illegal dumping in a popular scenic spot near Clogheen.
Tipperary County Council successfully prosecuted the person after seven bags of domestic waste were found dumped at Loughlin’s Bridge near the Vee.
This is an area of natural beauty with spectacular views and is popular with hikers and walkers on the Knockmealdown Mountains.
Executive Scientist for the Environment and Climate Action Section with Tipperary County Council David Corbett says the person would have paid for their bin collection for quite some time with what its cost them.
“Think of it this way – you put bags of rubbish into your car and you drive a considerable distance out into a rural area and you dump the bags out.
“The cost of fuel and the cost then if you’re caught – for example the recent case that we had at The Vee – the penalties imposed in court were pretty much equivalent to a person having a bin service for over 12 years. For one incident of dumping.”
David Corbett says this is one of a number of prosecutions taken by the local authority in recent years.
“Since 2021 we’ve had in excess of 30 court cases under various breaches or offences under the Litter Pollution Act and the Waste Management Act. The Litter Pollution Act tends to be for small quantities of material dumped and the Waste Management Act is for considerably large or significant deposits of material.
“So in those 30 cases we’ve been successful in all of them.”
