This article is from page 6 of the 2006-01-24 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 6 JPG
APPROXIMATELY 20 per cent of on-thespot litter fines went unpaid in the county last year.
While the number may seem quite high it is significantly less than the national average, where it is estimated that as many as two in every three litterbugs escape without paying any penalty.
Last year Clare County Council issued 228 litter fines.
Ennis Town Council was ensuring that the county town held its tidy town status and issued 363 offenders with litter fines, while Kilrush Town Council issued a total of 14 litter fines.
Of the on the spot fines issued though the county council, 97 were paid, 36 cancelled and nine ended up in the courts.
Less than half of the court cases were successful, with the council receiving a positive result in just four.
A total of 86 cases are pending further investigation, payment of fines or proceedings if the fines are not paid.
The county council made almost €14,000 in litter fines last year, more than €10,000 less than its urban counterpart.
Ennis Town Council secured €25,000 in the 200 fines paid. In total the town council issued 363 on the spot fines.
Seven of those cases went to court with the council winning six of the seven.
The two litter and environmental wardens in Ennis responded to 595 complaints in the 12 months of 2005.
Barry Keating, Staff Officer with the Environment Section of Ennis Town Council explained that any illegal dumping discovered in the urban area is referred to the county council’s waste management team.
He said that waste management is not a major issue in the towns and illegal dumping is more of a rural problem.
Kilrush Town Council likewise deals solely with one off litter fines. In 2005 it collected €1,000 from the eight fines paid.
Of its two prosecutions, it received a positive result in one, with a fine of €200 imposed.
Nicola Cullinan, Staff Officer with the Waste Enforcement Unit in the county said that imposing the fine can be difficult as people in rented accommodation move on and are difficult to relocate.
There is also a lot of investigation work for the three environmental wardens and the two engineers in the unit, who often have to go through rubbish bags to identify its owner.
Last year the waste enforcement unit issue 30 notices and fines for illegal advertising signage.
A further 70 notices were served under different sections of the waste management plan including notices to land owners for illegal dumping.
Nine prosecutions were successfully made under the waste management plan.