'Covert cameras should be used to deter dumping at Butler's Bridge'

A covert camera operation to monitor, fine and stop persistent household dumping in the areas of Butler’s Bridge, Kilpatrick, Ladestown and Belmont, was called for by Cllr Aoife Davitt at the February meeting of the Municipal District of Mullingar Kinnegad.

She said people will be going out to the lakes again soon and Butler’s Bridge is a popular area with bird watchers and anglers who come from across the country. Cllr Davitt claimed that people have dumped their “unwanted Christmas stuff in drains and rivers” and are leaving their rubbish under the CCTV signs.

Cllr Niall Gaffney agreed that coming into the fishing season, people will be travelling from all over the country to the Westmeath lakes.

Cllr David Jones said he had seen takeaway bags dumped under the remote working hub at the county council offices – where there is CCTV overhead. He suggested that the culprits should be apprehended, fined and their pictures posted online.

Cllr Andrew Duncan suggested that anyone convicted of illegal dumping should be made to pay for the clean-up.

Cllr Emily Wallace said ‘no dumping’ signs at the lakes should be bilingual. She warned against unregistered operators advertising clean-up services after the recent storm. If they don’t have permits, they cannot collect rubbish, she said, adding that the onus is on householders to ensure they use only registered waste disposal services.

Cllr Julie McCourt said larger ‘no dumping’ signs were needed at the lakes. She called for a name and shame approach to offenders, as did the mayor of the municipal district, Cllr Ken Glynn.

If we get a few prosecutions the word will get out that there are cameras all over the place, said Cllr Alfie Devine.

The meeting was told that covert CCTV is in use at a number of locations and will be used, where possible, in prosecutions. Director of services, Deirdre Reilly, said a strategy for 2025 will be presented to the members in April.

In a separate motion, Cllr Davitt called for the realignment of the junction markings at Genesis, The Downs, to fit the current usage of the road. She was told that the matter would be examined.