Kildare bog dumping condemned
“They are in the process of pursuing the repeat offender"
CONTINUOUS dumping on Derreens Bog, which is part of the famous Kildare Bog of Allen, has lead Kildare County Council to take decisive action to tackle the issue.
In a motion tabled by councillors Noel Heavey, Peggy O'Dwyer, and Rob Power, a call for a comprehensive "programme of action involving technology, the community and, if necessary, other statutory agencies" to identify and stop those responsible for what councillors described as “pernicious dumping” on the area’s sensitive peatlands has been made.
Councillors reported that large “truckloads” of waste has been dumped at the bog, including building materials such as cement.
Co-author of the motion, cllr Peggy O’Dwyer, commented on the long-standing problem, citing a dumping incident that occurred three or four years ago.
“They are in the process of pursuing the repeat offender,” she said.
Boglands in Ireland — including those in Derreens — are a mix of public and private ownership, with state agencies like Bord na Móna and Coillte managing significant areas. Conservation and management efforts are shared among various stakeholders, including the National Parks and Wildlife Service, the Environmental Protection Agency, and non-governmental organisations such as the Irish Peatland Conservation Council.
The council’s report acknowledges that protecting boglands from littering and illegal dumping requires a multifaceted approach, including public education, enforcement of existing laws, and community involvement.
Priority actions outlined in the report include: reporting all dumping and infilling to the EPA and local authorities, prosecuting individuals who illegally dump domestic or industrial waste, installing signage at bogs with conservation designations, and limiting access routes to deter vehicle-based dumping.
However, cllr Rob Power offered that searching through the waste to identify the person responsible might be more effective in resolving the problem than putting up signage.
The council emphasised the legal responsibility of private landowners to maintain their land free of litter, regardless of who deposited the waste. This obligation is enshrined in national litter legislation and is considered vital to environmental protection.
Local authorities, including Kildare County Council, are charged with enforcing litter laws and keeping public areas under their control clean.
According to the council’s environment department, it recently carried out a clean-up operation at Derreens Bog, It was confirmed that enforcement action would follow.
Cathaoirleach Noel Heavey said: “The area of Derreens is being attacked. There is a duty of care by Kildare County Council’s planning department to tackle this.”
