Waterford rubbish dumpers need to be 'named and shamed'
'If people are named and shamed they will be slow coming back doing it again' - Cllr Liam Brazil.
The ongoing issues of rubbish dumping in rural Waterford was raised at a recent meeting of Waterford Council.
Cllr Liam Brazil said during the meeting that dumping in the region is "getting out of hand".
He added that fines should be raised and perpetrators "named and shamed".
“The roads along the Comeragh are littered with rubbish and I don’t think we as a council are serious enough about this rubbish," he said. "If we were we would be writing to the government and relevant departments to try and get the fine from €150 up to €500 or €600. That’s where the downfall is.
"If someone is caught with rubbish, they’re being slapped on the wrist with a €150 fine.
"If they were named and shamed, I do believe that’s the way to go on this. If people are named and shamed they will be slow coming back doing it again."
Cllr Brazil also asked that the council commend participants of the recent Comeragh Cleanup, which took place on Easter Monday.
Offering a response to Cllr Brazil's comments, Dawn Wallace, Senior Executive Officer in Waterford Council's Environment Department, said: "The difficulty with the fines is we have to catch people. If somebody dumps a mattress, without a name and address there's not a lot we can do unless they’ve been seen and there's a way of identifying them."
