16 prosecutions brought by Leitrim County Council for littering

Leitrim County Council is urging people to ensure you continue to dispose of your waste legally during the current Covid-19 pandemic.
In total 16 prosecutions have been taken over the last few years for litter and waste offences with eight people convicted and/or receiving significant fines as a result.
In some cases fines of up to €4,000 have been imposed for very serious offences.
Offences have included illegal dumping in the Manorhamilton and Kinlough areas; illegal holding or hoarding waste at residences causing a risk to human health in Kinlough, Mohill and Carrick-on-Shannon; illegal burning in the Drumshanbo, Carrick-on-Shannon areas; poor waste management causing significant water pollution in Carrick-on-Shannon and failing to report to the Local Authority an oil spill arising from waste that impacted a water course in Carrick-on-Shannon.
A number of prosecution cases are currently with the legal team and, these will be brought before the courts in due course.
During 2019, as part of an anti-dumping initiative by Leitrim County Council, a specialist CCTV contractor was employed to install CCTV at a number of bring bank facilities throughout the county on a rotation basis.
The initiative was funded by the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment, and administered by Connacht Ulster WERLA.
The footage obtained resulted in a large number of littering offences being detected. As a result of the CCTV surveillance programme at bring bank centres, a significant number of warning letters and a total of 48 litter fines were issued. In total, Leitrim County Council issued a total of 115 litter fines for various littering offences detected during 2019.
Leitrim County Council are planning to undertake a similar CCTV programme again this year at bring bank centres.
The public are urged to take all boxes and bags home with them on completion of recycling activities at bring bank facilities throughout the county, and not to deposit any waste or litter in the general area. Doing so, could result in being issued with a litter fine of €150 being imposed.
If bring banks or clothing banks are full, please consider using another bring centre or simply return on another occasion when the banks have been serviced.
Bring banks are being filled to capacity more frequently at present, and in that regard Leitrim County Council ask the public to please be mindful not to leave receivables in bags or boxes on the ground in front of the bring banks for collection. This is considered to be a littering offence and will be dealt with accordingly.

Waste collections continue on existing routes
During the Covid-19 restrictions, householders on collection routes should use their household waste, recycling and organic bins for disposal of all waste including general waste, recyclable material and organic food waste.
The waste contractors are operating their collection services on a business as usual basis. Each waste provider has information on their web sites with regard to best practice when leaving bins out for collection and tips on public health protection for both customers and the workers in the waste industry.
All incidents of illegal dumping will still be investigated by our staff and penalties and fines will be issued or court proceeding instigated where required.
Members of the public should report incidents of illegal dumping by contacting us on 1890 205 205 or by email at environment@leitrimcoco.ie.
All incidents reported will be treated with the strictest of confidence.
With regards to penalties, the Waste Management Act imposes a general duty of care on holders of waste, under which a person may not hold, transport, recover or dispose of waste in a manner that causes, or is likely to cause, environmental pollution. Penalties for serious dumping offences provided for under the Waste Management Acts are significant.
Persons who are found to be responsible for, or involved in, the unauthorised disposal of waste are liable to a maximum fine of €5,000 on summary conviction and/or imprisonment for up to 12 months.
Persons can also be faced with footing the legal bill for the Local Authority and this can be substantial, typically in the region of €1,000 to €2,500.