On Monday morning of this week, 24 November, Westmeath County Council staff had the job of cleaning up a huge mess left by vandals who seriously interfered with the bottle and clothes banks at The Cut, Lough Lene, emptying the contents of the large containers across the road and carpark area.
Local residents from Collinstown village and across the area told Topic that the vandalism has been ongoing for some time, and Cllrs. Frank McDermott, John Shaw and Una Darcy have been making representations to the Council to have the large containers removed from the area, and located elsewhere.
The residents to whom Topic spoke said the Gardaí as well as local Councillors are aware of the activities of those who arrive at The Cut in the early hours, and said it was disgraceful that they can get away with such scandalous behaviour. Young people who arrive in vehicles there are being blamed by some residents for what has occurred, and last week’s large scale vandalism caused particular annoyance.
Council workers did an excellent job this week, restoring the attractiveness of the area alongside the popular lakeshore bathing area and the carparking area – but not without work that should not have been required.
Remarked one resident:
“Why should Council staff have to do the likes of this? Those who did the harm should be brought back to refill the containers with their bare hands.”
NOT ISOLATED
The Collinstown illegal dumping was not the only dumping to have come to the notice of the Council in recent weeks.
At The Downs, close to the Killucan roundabout, ongoing dumping has been causing problems, with fly-tipping a constant problem. Dumping in Walshestown, Mullingar, was also highlighted at a recent Council meeting when it was revealed to Cllr John Shaw that a person who carried out the dumping came in and paid a fine, avoiding a prosecution. Cllr Shaw feels more should be done to prosecute and ‘name and shame’ the dumpers.