Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for taking this debate. Ballymun has been given what can only be described as a bitter pill to swallow in the recent Irish Business Against Litter, IBAL, report on littering. Ballymun is not unique when it comes to having litter and illegal dumping problems. Across the city, illegal dumping and littering have become a major problem, as they have nationally. The damning report from IBAL does not do justice to the considerable amount of work being done by local residents, community groups, Ballymun TidyTowns and Dublin City Council and its personnel. In fact, many residents in Ballymun deserve recognition and commendation for the hard work and dedication they have shown in improving their area and the quality of life for the people there. Communities and residents in many parts of Ballymun have transformed their environment and great credit is due to them. The IBAL report does not reflect the work being done by such dedicated and conscientious people.

It is clear that we have a serious problem with illegal dumping and littering. It should also be clear that the report identifies a particular area of Ballymun that has long been a bone of contention, that being the shopping centre where the report has stated much of the illegal dumping and littering has taken place. The vacant shopping centre site is located on Main Street and was once at the heart of Ballymun and its community. Now, this derelict site is an eyesore that greets people as they drive into or otherwise enter Ballymun.

Since the privatisation of Dublin City Council's bin services, illegal dumping has escalated to the point where, despite the use of private companies, combatting the problem is costing the council substantial amounts of money. In 2018, Dublin City Council spent €1.16 million cleaning up illegal dumping. That was on top of the money paid to private companies. It is unfortunate that so large a sum of money has to be spent in such a manner. Without the scourge of illegal dumping, that money could have contributed to community projects instead.

We have repeatedly called on Dublin City Council to increase the frequency of street cleaning and road sweeping. Currently, these functions are at the discretion of a supervisor or inspector, follow a complaint or are carried out where a road or street needs cleaning. This leads to a lack of consistency. Clearly, the system is not workable in many areas. We need to return to a system of consistent weekly cleaning of roads and streets.

The ill-judged decision to remove litter bins from roads, streets, parks and shops has led to increased littering in many areas across the whole city. When an area has a littering problem, it is disheartening for many people in the community. People in Ballymun do not want to live like this. They are as passionate about the environment as anyone else. The Rediscovery Centre in Ballymun is an example of recycling at its best. It is also an example of the community's commitment to the betterment of the local area. The Rediscovery Centre, which is unique in Europe, places Ballymun at the centre of environmental awareness. Many local schools are actively involved with the centre, which teaches a new generation about the responsibilities and benefits of looking after the local community and the environment. People need to be educated at an early stage and at an early age.

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