Members of An Garda Síochána have issued a warning to rural dwellers and the public following the discovery of illegal dumping in Co. Meath.

Taking to social media yesterday, Tuesday, October 1, Gardaí based in the ‘Royal County’ urged members of the public to check that their rubbish collectors are legitimate and are not illegally dumping.

In a statement, Gardaí said: “Yet again we are highlighting the reason why you shouldn’t give rubbish to illegal collectors. This happened last night [Monday] in Ardcath.”

Gardaí encouraged people to check the National Waste Collection Permit Office (NCPO) website for reputable collectors.

Please check that website to make sure the contractors are on it before giving them anything because [some] people don’t care about destroying the countryside.

“Anyone with information should contact Meath County Council Environment Department on: 046-9097200 ;or email at: [email protected],” the statement concluded.

Rubbish illegally dumped at SPA site

A similar illegal dumping incident took place in Co. Waterford last week, at an EU-designated Special Protection Area (SPA) site at a cliff close to the village of Annestown.

Waterford City and County Council launched a clean-up operation to remove the rubbish.

“The area where the dumping took place is within the UNESCO Global Geopark and is a part of the Mid-Waterford coast SPA,” the council said.

The authority noted that, from the extent of the rubbish dumped, “it is obvious that the waste didn’t come from one house”.

This is most likely the actions of an illegal ‘man in the van’ operator. Both the person who dumped the waste and the people who gave it to them are responsible for this and both face prosecution.

“The only way to ensure that the waste gets disposed of responsibly is to use an authorised waste collector,” Waterford Council warned.

“Always check your waste collectors’ permit number and get a receipt for your waste.”