Dublin Bus, Spar outlet prosecuted for litter offences

Dublin Bus, a Spar outlet, Thunder Road Cafe in Temple Bar, and the Hot Press Music Hall of Fame were among those named yesterday…

Dublin Bus, a Spar outlet, Thunder Road Cafe in Temple Bar, and the Hot Press Music Hall of Fame were among those named yesterday in a list of those prosecuted for litter offences in the capital by Dublin Corporation.

Dublin City Council decided last April to issue details of those successfully prosecuted for offences under the Litter Pollution Act, 1997.

A spokesman for Dublin Bus said the fine related to used tickets thrown around by people standing at bus stops and at bus shelters "and not put into bags". As such, it did not relate to Dublin Bus, he insisted, except insofar as this was the name that appeared on the tickets.

Mr Charles McCarthy, trading as Spar at Westmoreland Street, was also named. Ms Deirdre Mulvey, the store's manager said the problem was a recurring one, and was not a case of the shop deliberately littering. Serious littering occurred mostly at weekend nights, when people bought goods in the shop and then dumped the wrapping - with the Spar logo - outside.

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She said rubbish from other commercial outlets would also gather at the shop's corner location. She said the streets outside were cleaned every morning at 8 a.m. but litter wardens often patrolled before that.

A management spokesman for Thunder Road Cafe said staff left its bins out at 2 a.m. for Dublin Corporation to collect. "They come along and collect them at around 6 or 6.30 a.m. The reality is that we have no control over the situation between the hours of 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. I told this to the litter warden who came around with the (£50) fine."

He said anyone could do what they wanted with the bins - and that's what had happened. The Corporation had been sympathetic when he explained the situation, he added.

Artwave Investments, trading as Hot Press Music Hall of Fame, Middle Abbey Street, Dublin, was named six times on the list of names of those prosecuted for litter offences. A spokeswoman said the company was not aware it had been named in the list of prosecutions, but would be looking into the matter.

Mr Kevin O'Sullivan, anti-litter officer, Dublin Corporation, said businesses were legally obliged to keep the outside of their premises clean.

He said the Corporation's litter wardens would take a reasonable approach and, in most cases, would issue fines and inform the businesses fully about their obligations before bringing them to court.