It is unacceptable that four years since Dublin City Council launched its anti-litter campaign in Dublin’s North Inner City the area was once again identified in the latest IBAL Report as the dirtiest area in the country . 

Residents and businesses in Dublin’s North Inner City pay expensive rates and local property tax and should not have to tolerate a filthy neighborhood.   Tourists to Dublin should not have to pick their way through rubbish strewn streets to visit our world class tourist attractions. 

Mary says, “The North Inner City is a wonderful, vibrant place to live and work and so it’s a real shame that area is persistently littered.  It’s especially disappointing given the large number of individuals and groups throughout the north inner city from Phibsborough, Stoneybatter, East Wall, Ballybough and Drumcondra who give of their time voluntarily to undertake local clean-ups dedicated to improving our environment.

“All these people give up their valuable time, often after work, to clean the canal, parks and streets. It’s fair to say they are fighting an uphill battle and that is not good enough. 

“The problem of illegal dumping stems from the disastrous decision to privatise residential bin collections and abolish the waiver for 40,000 low income households in Dublin city.  There is a direct correlation between the abolition of the waiver and the increase in illegal dumping.  

“If litter and dumping in this important part of our capital city is to be properly tackled then the possibility of re-introducing a waiver for low income households, an affordable municipal waste collection service and an independent regulator to manage private waste collectors must be considered.

“Having a clean inner city should not be beyond the cities authorities.  Placing the burden for keeping the capital’s  inner city clean on residents and businesses is not viable and is not working. 

“It is wrong that residents and businesses are being left to clean-up the mess created by the disastrous decision to privatise the bin collections and abolish the waiver for low income households and those decisions should be revisited.” Says Mary.

In the meantime please report illegal dumping in Dublin Central to 1800 248 348.