A local community activist in Sligo has hit out at what he says is the small number of prosecutions by the county council for illegal dumping.
Thomas Walsh, of Ballygawley, says illegal dumping is now ‘at an all-time high’ with Sligo County Council confirming this week that it issued almost 80 fines in the last year alone.
The Council has also confirmed that including staffing and associated costs, illegal dumping cost them €900,000 last year alone.
But Thomas Walsh says despite this becoming an increasing problem, there were only 79 prosecutions by the council in 10 years.
He says that only last Saturday, about 40 bags of rubbish were collected by 25 Tidy Towns volunteers in the Ballygawley area alone:
