Illegal dumping in rural Kerry a ‘disaster’ says councillor

By Alastair Tibbs, The Kerryman

A Kerry councillor has highlighted the “disaster” of illegal dumping in a rural area, asking the council to pay for the whole clean-up.

Councillor Podge Foley raised the issue of illegal dumping at Glencuttane, near Beaufort, and requested the council intervene.

Kerry County Council reported last year that fly tipping was down over 30 per cent between 2022 and 2024. In 2024, around 67 tonnes of fly tipping was removed by the council compared to nearly 96 tonnes in 2022.

Cllr Foley urged the council to visit the Glencuttane site at a recent Kenmare Municipal District meeting and see for themselves the amount of rubbish left at the field.

“The land is a disaster,” he said, requesting the council pay for the “whole clean-up bill”.

The council said the primary responsibility for the management of any private property rests with the landowner and that they currently had an open file in relation to a waste issue at a site.

They said they had engaged with the landowner and would not be in a position to comment before Q3 this year.