Litter policy call

A call that Kildare County Council be asked to specify the duties of its operatives who pick litter in Kilcullen was made at a recent meeting of Kilcullen Community Action.

It came from Noel Clare, who raised the issue of the Council's pledges on litter management for towns like Kilcullen.

"They're just not implementing them," he said. "I don't think we should be accepting what is going on here."

He said the Council should be asked, under the Freedom of Information Act if necessary to get the reply, to give details about their 'litter policies' in the town.

"They should tell us how often their operatives are supposed to do their work here, and where they are supposed to pick the litter here."

Herbie Sheehan noted that while they could give out about how the litter was dealt with, it was nevertheless a fact that it was the people in the town who dropped the litter. "It's almost becoming acceptable," he said.

"We're just a dirty race," Tony Gahan said. "You just have to look over the bridge and you'll see it."

J J Whelan resurrected the idea discussed at a meeting last year that the community should raise funds to employ a person to keep the town litter-free as well as doing other work to keep the town tidy.

"Why should we have to?" Celia Travers asked. "It's the Council's job."

Noel Clare agreed, noting that local authorities are required to provide such services.

The discussion concluded with a decision that Noel should draft a letter ot the Council to elicit the authority's policy on litter management in Kilcullen.

It was suggested, and agreed, that the letter, and any response, should be published in local and county news media.

Brian Byrne.