A local Donegal County Councillor has expressed concern over the continuation of illegal dumping at a popular site in west Donegal.
Cllr Micheal Mac Giolla Easbuig said residents had been leaving their rubbish at the Meenacross site for collection, despite a local waste collection operator insisting it wasn’t part of a designated route.
It is believed much of the illegal dumping took place following the departure of holiday-home owners in the area.
Speaking to Donegal Daily, he said: “This is an ongoing issue out in Meenacross and people are leaving their rubbish bags for collection at this point for a long time, for an unknown reason.
“I have been in contact with Sharkeys Waste and I would like to say, who delivers quite a good service for the area. It is not their responsibility if the bag has been ripped open.
“For example, if I leave a bag at the end of my road and a dog comes along and rips that bag open, it is not then Sharkeys responsibility to clean that, it is mine.
“And they are getting criticised for not collecting the rubbish, but what I am asking people to do is to stop leaving their bags at that site.
“When they are leaving their bags up there, for days on end, it is very obvious what is going to happen.
“I am also people, especially those who own holiday-homes, to stop doing this as well. Just because they are leaving on a certain day and the rubbish isn’t being collected for several days after that, doesn’t give them an excuse to fly-tip on the side of the road.
“And the council about a year ago told me that they were going to clean-up this particular site and they haven’t.”
The west Donegal councillor explained the local authority had agreed to clean the site due to large-scale dumping of tar in the area, but have not done so to date.
“Now, I have spoken to the landowner and he is very willing to have that area cleaned up by the council because I don’t believe it should be their responsibility.
“There is a huge issue here with rodents as well because it is attracting rats and there are plenty of people who live in that area.
“The council have to make a point of this and stop people from dumping in that area,” he added.
“I would like to see the council clean that whole area, put up bollards stop people dumping there, signage and hidden cameras to catch these people.”
