Solar powered CCTV in Louth to target illegal dumping
Councillors were told the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications had announced funding through the WERLA's to support Local Authorities in 2025 Anti-Dumping Initiative (ADI).
Chief Executive David Conway outlined in his monthly management report: 'The 2025 ADI aims to reduce incidents of illegal dumping by identifying and delivering projects aimed at tackling illegal dumping 'black spots' throughout the county and adhere to key measures of prevention, abatement, education and awareness and enforcement. The Department continues to strongly encourage innovative projects, which recognise waste as a resource that can be repurposed for use in a Circular Economy.'
A total of six project applications were submitted for approval under the ADI 2025 totalling €112,583.60. The Department approved funding of €100,783.60 for the completion of five projects including: Mattress and Sofa Amnesty Event – V&W Dundalk; Mattress and Sofa Amnesty Event – V&W Drogheda; Mattress and Soda Amnesty Collection Point – Ardee; Moneymore Lanes clean-up and a Solar Powered CCTV system at Williamsons Place, Dundalk.
Cllr. Emma Coffey asked for an update on the Solar Powered CCTV system, asking for a timeline on when this might be delivered.
She added that it was hoped this could be an initiative that could be used again, as it was likely to be more sustainable in terms of maintenance and upkeep.
Director of Services, David Hanratty, explained that it has to be approved by the CCTV steering group, adding that there were increased privacy directives. This would not be a permanent fixture, and could operate on a temporary basis for a month or two. But, he pointed out that it was a piece of equipment that could be moved to other locations.
The meeting heard the sofa and mattress amnesty events would be held in a similar way to previous years, in three civic amenity locations, Dundalk, Drogheda and Ardee.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Independent
4 hours ago
- Irish Independent
‘For people who are paying their rent, this is very unfair' – Louth councillor hits out at millions owed in rent arrears
Louth County Council are owed almost €4 million by tenants of council managed homes, with 1,404 accounts in debt. Over 1,000 of these are facing rents greater than 12 weeks. Local councillors have been voicing their concerns about the rising level of monies owed in back rent, with the issue being frequently highlighted at municipal and county council meetings. An update on rent management is published every month by the council in their monthly management report, with the July figure standing at €3,996,922. The multi-million euro debts are much greater than in other counties in the region, where rental arrears are significantly lower. Monaghan County Council confirmed that as of July 31st, the rental arrears were €508,561, which is almost €3.5million less than in County Louth. Meanwhile in Meath, the figure is on average €1.9 million less than the rental arrears owed in Louth. A spokesman for Meath County Council said that 'As of 31st July, the total collection of rents is 85%. There are 4,902 Rent and Rental Accommodation Scheme customers and currently 823 are in a payment plan, which represents 16.7% of tenancies. As of 31 July 2025, 849 tenancies are in arrears of over four weeks. The total arrears outstanding is €2.11m.' Speaking at the July meeting of Louth County Council, Cllr. Pio Smith described the €4.1 million owed in Louth as: 'A very significant amount of money, which seems to be growing year on year.' He said that of the 1,088 accounts which owe rents greater than 12 weeks, less than half were in a repayment plan, and asked what impact this has on the council's ability to carry out maintenance and other duties. Cllr. Smith said he acknowledged that Louth County Council were 'doing all that they can to address this issue.' He added: 'My own belief is this needs to be addressed nationally,' and asked if the local authority 'has all the tools it needs to tackle this.' 'I do believe that for people who are paying their rent, this is very unfair.' Cllr. Kevin Meenan said this was 'a huge amount of money' and asked if the council had a support unit similar to a mortgage arrears unit, where banks would focus on accounts in debt. He called for a more in-depth report on the issue 'to look at where a lot of the arrears are coming from, whether they are first time tenants, or second time tenants etc, and in what geographical area these arrears are emerging.' "I do get the fact that there are people out there who do not pay, and they are hard to deal with, they have no interest in paying. But there are a lot of people out there with other issues, and we can't just treat them all the people who won't pay and the people who want to pay, but can't pay.' Cllr. Maeve Yore said that when she was first elected to Louth County Council the arrears stood at over €5 million. "Successive governments haven't addressed the rent arrears problem over all the local authorities, nationally there has to be a conversation around paying at source, similar to what people do when they are paying their mortgage.' She added: 'It is having an impact on our maintenance programme,' saying that the monies owed to the local authority could help provide homes for the thousands of people on the social housing waiting list. "Can we consult with other local authorities, with less rent arrears, and look at how we can do things differently?' Cllr. Marianne Butler said rental arrears 'should be tracked around the country' through the National Oversight and Audit Commission (NOAC), the independent oversight body for the local government sector. "That way, we could have a breakdown of arrears, and we would know how we are doing in comparison to the rest of the country, and how big of a problem this is nationwide, as well as county-wide.' Declan Grimes, from Louth County Council's Housing section, told the meeting that the impact of the rental arrears was 'significant' and one that the local authority was 'very conscious of.' 'Looking at the figures, it is substantial the number of accounts that are in arrears.' He outlined how the council work to address the issue, with rent managers engaging regularly with tenants who are in arrears, to encourage them to enter into payment plans, or to look at other issues. The council also impose maintenance restrictions on tenants who are in rental debt, whereby work won't ordinarily be carried out on their property unless they engage with the council about the monies they owe. He admitted that it was 'a complex issue, with some tenants who won't pay, and some tenants who can't pay.' He added that the local authority would examine the accounts in more detail to look at whether the issue was more common in specific areas or housing estates, but said the council's objective was to 'work very closely with tenants who are behind in their payments.'
Agriland
4 days ago
- Agriland
Farm org seeks additional funding for 'Forgotten Farmers'
A farm organisation is urging Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon to allocate additional funding for the cohort of 'Forgotten Farmers'. It was announced this week that following the survey carried out in May 2025, the scheme to support Long Established Young Farmers – commonly referred to as 'Forgotten Farmers' – is open for submission of online applications. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine was allocated €5 million in Budget 2025 to provide support to this group. Applicants can avail of a payment of up to €5,000 (depending on application numbers). 'Forgotten Farmers' is a group defined as young farmers who were under the age of 40 in 2015, had commenced in agriculture prior to 2008, did not receive young farmer installation aid, and were not eligible for young farmer supports under CAP from 2015 due to the date they had first set up. Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) rural development chair John Curran said the scheme is "long overdue". However, he said that what's on the table here "falls far short of what the installation aid was in the past, and that's what we were looking for". "We made this clear with the minister yesterday when we met to discuss our overall priorities for the upcoming budget," Curran said. '€5 million was allocated in the last budget, with commitments that more would be secured if needed. "The minister needs to follow through on this, secure the necessary funding and ensure all forgotten farmers are not forgotten again. 'All eligible farmers, including those starting out in 2008 and thereafter, should get at least the equivalent amount as they would have received under the installation aid."
Agriland
4 days ago
- Agriland
Call for more time to apply for 'forgotten farmers' scheme
The Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) is calling for a more 'ambitious' for Long-Established Young Farmers scheme with an extension to the timeframe within which farmers can apply. Late last month, it was announced that following the survey carried out in May 2025, the scheme to support Long Established Young Farmers – commonly referred to as 'forgotten farmers' – is open for submission of online applications. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) was allocated €5 million in Budget 2025 to provide support to this group. Applicants can avail of a payment of up to €5,000 (depending on application numbers). 'Forgotten farmers' is a group defined as young farmers who were under the age of 40 in 2015, had commenced in agriculture prior to 2008, did not receive young farmer installation aid, and were not eligible for young farmer supports under Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) from 2015 due to the date they had first set up. IFA Rural Development chair John Curran said: 'After years in the making and countless political promises to finally support 'forgotten farmers', we've a scheme on the table that falls far short of expectations and will again exclude many farmers from necessary support. "Our regional offices are getting calls daily from frustrated farmers, with complaints over those excluded; the short window to apply; and small potential payment etc. "We've looked for a meeting with the [agriculture] minister to try get some resolution here. Our view is clear. Commitments made in Budget 2025 for increased funding allocations will need to be honoured. "A more ambitious Long Established Young Farmer scheme has to be delivered that caters for all eligible farmers, including those starting out in 2008 and thereafter. John Curran IFA National Rural Development Committee chair "The support must be at least equivalent to what they would have received under the installation aid,' Curran said. The IFA has said that the three-week application window - which ends next Wednesday, August 13 - to secure necessary documentation and submit online, during the holiday season, is also far too tight. The association has stressed that farmers are finding it difficult to get queries addressed and assemble the required supporting documentation (e.g., educational qualifications) to accompany applications. "This must be extended to a more realistic timeframe,' Curran said. The IFA is not the only farm organisation that is calling for an extension to the forgotten farmers scheme. The Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Scheme (ICMSA) has said the closing date for the scheme should be extended to the end of September. According to Eamon Carroll, the association's deputy president, it is "proving near impossible" for affected farmers to get their paperwork together within too tight a timeframe. "There are numerous instances where farmers who are trying to apply for the scheme can't contact their advisors who are on normal holidays," Carroll said. "Even more frustrating are the cases where farmers are trying to attain their relevant records from their agriculture college [which] are closed over the summer. "It would surely make more sense for the application deadline to be pushed to at least September 30 when normal administration resumes, and it would be that much easier to access the records and information that the department itself is insisting accompany applications to the scheme," Carroll added. The ICMSA deputy president said that, while the scheme is a positive step, it would "be a shame" if an unrealistic deadline "wipes out the good intentions".
