Mounds of waste left at an unpermitted site in Moville
DONEGAL has been ranked the worst county in the country for managing waste, according to research undertaken by RTÉ Investigates. The programme went undercover for the last six months to investigate illegal dumping and how councils regulate and prosecute waste offenders.
Donegal proved the poorest performing council in Ireland for its inspection rate of its facilities and for its investment in waste services. The investigation team examined all Councils for rates of inspections, enforcements, prosecutions and staffing levels between 2014 and 2016. They found that during this period Donegal had just two members of staff to regulate the 44 waste permits in the area.
Donegal also spent the least amount of money per person on waste management, planning and regulation services. Between 2015 and 2016 Donegal spent just €4.20 while the national average was €17.22. This was less than every other local authority compared to the amount of people living there.
The amount spent by Donegal County Council on waste management represents just 0.51 per cent of the Council’s total expenditure during this period. The investigation team found that bordering County Leitrim spent five times more per person, €21.24. In comparison in Meath their Council spent €36.87 per person and Longford County Council spent €29.91 per person.
In a statement to RTÉ Investigates, Donegal County Council said the analysis does not reflect all of its efforts in the area of waste management and enforcement but that it has secured funding to hire extra staff. It added Donegal County Council remains committed to addressing waste management issues and will continue its efforts to do so.
Wicklow came out as the highest performing council in Ireland for managing waste services, between 2014 and 2016 Wicklow completed 6,174 non-routine inspections, four times the national average of 1,371.
The hour long RTÉ One documentary called ‘Ireland’s Wild Waste’ will air tonight at 9.35pm when the full extent of dumping across the county will be exposed.
Speaking ahead of the programme a Spokesperson for RTE said: “When illegal dumpers pollute the environment, it’s the Irish taxpayer who is left to foot the bill so people rely on their local authorities to regulate a large portion of Ireland’s booming waste industry. The level of investment in waste regulation and enforcement varies significantly depending on the county you live in.
“RTÉ Investigates analysed environmental data from the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Housing to determine which councils take waste offences seriously and who is left lagging behind.”
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