... Sir, - The Dublin assistant city manager, Matt Twomey, is wrong in his comments in defence of Dublin City Council (June 6th). An Taisce and the IBAL are right to highlight the serious problem of illegal dumping in the Liberties/Coombe area.
It is a pity that the area should get more bad press, but Dublin City Council has a case to answer. The 10-point An Taisce survey did not assess the parts of the Liberties/Coombe, such as Cork Street, now under regeneration. The survey identified a serious problem of dumping, mainly from people from outside the area.
The high number of alleyways and derelict buildings has attracted persistent dumping. The council needs to target litter blackspots and to ensure quicker development of derelict sites.
Not all is the responsibility of the council. Under EU regulations, fridges and freezers cannot now be sent to landfill, but the Government has not put an alternative means of disposal in place. Instead, fridges are being dumped illegally, often in parts of the south inner city.
Any area in Dublin would find it difficult to compete with smaller, rural towns in a litter survey. This does not mean that Dublin City Council can sit back and accept intolerable levels of litter and illegal dumping. The council should strive to make the Liberties/Coombe the cleanest area in Dublin. - Yours, etc.,
MARY UPTON,TD,
Dáil Éireann,
Dublin 2.