ILLEGAL DUMPING in the countryside has reached “epidemic proportions”, the Irish Farmers’ Association has said.
Deputy president Eddie Downey said local authorities must introduce stronger deterrents against illegal dumpers.
His comments came after a farmer was seriously assaulted when he challenged illegal dumpers on his property.
The farmer, whose name and location were not revealed by the association, had endured persistent and indiscriminate dumping on his land.
“When he attempted to warn off the dumpers, he was assaulted and suffered head injuries,” Mr Downey said. The matter was with the Garda, he added.
Mr Downey said illegal dumping in the countryside had reached “epidemic proportions”.
“I’ve never seen anything like what I’ve seen in the last couple of weeks. The depth of nappies and dirt around different bits of woodland and land around the countryside is appalling.”
Farmers on whose land rubbish had been dumped have been facing fines from local authorities.
Mr Downey said Kilkenny County Council had imposed fines of €130,000 on a number of IFA members for rubbish left by others. “Local authorities must introduce stronger deterrents against people who dump litter in the countryside.”
While the IFA would continue to play its part, farmers could not be held liable for other people’s dumping and it was the responsibility of local authorities to keep the countryside free of litter, Mr Downey said.
Local authorities needed to come into partnership with landowners and find a way to stop the activity and to help farmers clean up, he said.
He called on Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan to review the legislation and direct local authorities to concentrate their efforts on cleaning up the countryside.
He also urged farmers not to engage with illegal dumpers on their land and advised they would be better off taking photographs and then reporting the perpetrators to the authorities.
“The type of person who engages in this despicable behaviour has no regard for persons or property,” Mr Downey said.
