Collector of votes turns to refuse gathering

Former presidential candidate Mr Derek Nally is providing a private detective service to local authorities anxious to reduce dumping in their areas.

Since losing to Mrs McAleese in the race for the Aras in 1997, Mr Nally has developed this new - and presumably lucrative - form of public service. His firm, International Investigations Ireland (III), is providing private investigators and training services to a growing number of local authorities.

The business grew out of the 1977 Litter Pollution Act, which allows local authorities to take court proceedings against litter louts. In Co Wicklow, for example, the authority has taken a particularly tough stance, deploying a force of 50 litter wardens and hiring Mr Nally's firm to provide mobile services to scour the county for dumped litter and to examine the contents for clues to the identity of the person who dumped it.

Under the Act, once dumpers have been identified by their rubbish, it is up to them to convince the court that they did not dump it.

Mr Nally also provides litter wardens under contract, the wardens being first designated by the authorities as "authorised officers", and training to local authority staff in how to handle court procedures.

His clients include Wicklow, Wexford and South Dublin county councils, as well as Enniscorthy and New Ross urban district councils.

Mr Nally said yesterday that the business had grown from one council asking his firm to watch suspects dumping commercial waste.

He said his team also stakes out "popular" dumping sites and gathers evidence for court cases, where the maximum fine can be £1,500. The wardens also carry books of £25 fine tickets, which Mr Nally says are suitable for a first offence.

Neither Mr Nally nor the local authorities involved are anxious to disclose how much private investigators and wardens cost. But the acting county secretary in Wicklow, Mr Michael Nicholson, said the council was hopeful the service would pay for itself by year's end.

Wexford County Council is putting the service out to tender.