Less than half of 2,000 illegal dumping fines in Dublin have been paid in two years.
And illegal dumping is a "scourge" on Dubliners across city with a minority of repeat offenders causing major distress to law-abiding folk. One Councillor described it as "very frustrating" which can send people into the "depths of depression".
Dumpers caught in the act by a garda or litter warden face a €150 fine or a maximum fine of €4,000 if they are convicted in the District Court. There was a whopping 9,200 tonnes of illegal waste collected by Dublin City Council from 2020 to October 2022 which cost €2.7 million.
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DCC figures released to Independent Councillor Noeleen Reilly, show less than half of the 2,152 fines issued from the start of 2020 to July in 2022 were paid. A total of 1,000 fines were paid by illegal dumpers over the same period.
DCC began legal proceedings against 529 dumpers for unpaid fines and initiated three direct legal proceedings which resulted in a total of 70 convictions. There were 307 fines cancelled after they were appealed. The figures also noted a lower rate of conviction due the Covid-19 pandemic closing the courts.
Cllr Reilly told Dublin Live she "wasn't surprised" less than half of the fines were paid before legal action was taken. She said: "That has been a problem for a while.
"The follow up is to bring them to court and whether they are going to do that for a €150 fine is another thing. Illegal dumping is certainly a scourge on the community."
She said: "People are in the depths of depression over illegal dumping. Some people wake up every morning, go outside their door and someone has dumped black bin bags all around the place."
She added it is "very frustrating" for the vast majority of people who are paying their bin charges and are law abiding citizens. "It is a small group that is destroying the community," she said.
Cllr Reilly called on Dublin City Council to take back the waste management service for council tenants and include the charge in the tenants rent. "That's the only thing that is going to address that issue", she said.
"If you do it that way, you ensure everybody has a waste management service".
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