National litter awareness campaign needed – Madigan

A new National Litter Awareness campaign is urgently required following this week’s scenes with rubbish dumped at public places, a Fine Gael Minister has said.

Minister Josepha Madigan said she was very disappointed with what occurred at public parks in recent days during the fine weather.

“While the current Level 5 restrictions are very clear in relation to outdoor gatherings, it is only natural the brighter and warmer evenings are encouraging large gatherings of people.

“Sadly however, there has been a notable increase in littering throughout the country in the last number of weeks and this is evident around our national parks and reserves, rivers, beaches and greenspaces.

“A number of my own constituents have brought some recent examples of local mass-littering to my attention in recent days.

“Last summer, as restrictions were being gradually lifted, the national ‘Love this Place – Leave no Trace’ campaign was launched to promote responsible outdoor recreation practices. It’s aim was to ensure a healthier and more sustainable future for all. I strongly believe that a similar initiative is needed as soon as possible and a new national litter awareness campaign should begin.

“In the meantime, I am pleading with members of the public to ensure every effort is made to keep our public places clean and tidy this Easter weekend.

“If you see a public bin that is packed with rubbish, report the bin to your local authority as soon as possible so it can be emptied.

“If you believe there should be more public bins in your area, I urge you to get in touch with your local representative. Every one of us is part of the solution to tackling pollution,” Minister Madigan said.

“Thank you to all of our local authority teams and volunteer groups who spend many hours every week keeping our streets, parks and local amenities litter-free.

“And remember, you wouldn’t litter in your own home; so please ensure that you bin you rubbish,” she added.