Green accuses council of letting Greenacres residents down over rubbish dumping problem

Cllr Jennifer Green beside some of the dumped rubbish in Greenacres

Local election candidate, Sinn Féin councillor Jennifer Green has accused the council of letting people down in the Greenacres area as local residents battle a rubbish dumping problem.

Residents of the estate, located off the Avenue Road, have been plagued with continuous dumping in an alleyway at the back of their houses.

Cllr Green went to look at the problem recent and said she was shocked when she saw the volume of rubbish left.

“It’s disgusting! The smell is overpowering and as a mum, I fear for the children playing in the area as there is quite a number of broken glass bottles along with dirty nappies, general house waste and used condoms. Not only that, but there is also a couch. It beggars belief. The rubbish is scattered the whole way along the alleyway. This type of rubbish attracts vermin and is a health and safety issue to people in the surrounding area.”

Cllr. Green explained: “I got the residents on board to do a clean-up of the area which is really above the call of duty for them as it wasn’t their rubbish in the first place. But talking to the residents it’s very obvious that they have great pride in their community and want to do what they can to address this issue and clean the area up. I duly contacted the council to arrange a clean up with the residents only to be told that the council wouldn’t provide us with any equipment and would not help us to take the rubbish away as it was on private ground.

“This has infuriated me as the council are constantly promoting Tidy Towns and cleaning up of the town. It strikes me as this rubbish is out of sight so it doesn’t matter to the council and the people have to deal with it. This is unacceptable. Are the people in Greenacres not entitled to have a tidy and clean estate just because they are not as visible as the town centre?”

Cllr Green concluded by saying: “Sinn Fein are fighting for better provision of public services and this is yet another example of how the council is letting the tax payer down. This is unacceptable.”

Illegal dumping at graveyard costing €15,000 a year

St Patrick’s Cemetery, Dundalk

Disposing of illegally dumped household waste in St Patrick’s Cemetery in Dundalk is costing the town’s joint burial board €15,000 a year.

The board says two large skips are being removed as a result – and there’s a prospect of the others being removed, if the illegal dumping doesn’t stop.

There are five skips located around the graveyard, which are intended for disposing of old flowers, wreaths and grass cuttings, and general waste associated with keeping a family plot tidy.

However, the joint burial board says that the items being illegally dumped there, have included TVs, microwaves, a mattress and even a front door.

It also says that household waste attracts vermin and wildlife, that rip open the bags – causing the contents to be blown all over the graveyard.

Dundalk Town Council’s Environment Section has carried out surveillance and fixed penalty notices have been issued.

An appeal has been issued asking people to only use the skips for work carried out whilst maintaining graves while members of the public who witness people abusing the remaining skips have been asked to report incidents to Dundalk Town Council.