Pilot CCTV scheme launched in Mayo aiming to tackle illegal dumping ‘blackspot’
A public consultation on the installation of CCTV in Ballyhaunis has been welcomed by councillors, who hope the move will put a stop to the persistent and illegal dumping of rubbish in the area.
Mayo County Council has launched the consultation as part of a pilot CCTV scheme at the Ballyhaunis Bottle Banks along St Gerard’s Crescent.
The aim is to deter and prevent ongoing dumping and littering at the site, which has long been a source of frustration for local residents.
The CCTV system will also allow the council to detect and prosecute offenders, and put a clear enforcement framework in place.
Responsibility for the cameras will fall to Mayo County Council’s CCTV oversight committee, which held its first meeting in February and is now considering proposals for additional schemes across the county.
The Ballyhaunis pilot began on March 20 and will run until April 10, with members of the public invited to make submissions up to 5pm on the closing date.
Cllr Alma Gallagher, who tabled multiple motions calling for a pilot scheme to be put in place, said she was pleased to see the consultation finally underway.
She described it as “very encouraging” to have both the consultation open and an active oversight committee in place.
In the past, local authorities attempting to prosecute illegal dumping cases were prevented from doing so if offenders claimed that their privacy had been breached under GDPR.
However, in 2024, three new regulations were introduced under the Circular Economy and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2022, giving councils a firm legal basis to use CCTV at dumping blackspots under both the Waste Management Act and the Litter Pollution Act.
“It is a very complex piece of legislation where there are three separate codes of practice. When we are dealing with GDPR, there are huge implications there,” Cllr Gallagher said.
She added that CCTV would be a “fantastic tool” for Ballyhaunis, with cameras set to be placed at a location which she described as a “huge blackspot for the town”.
The Ballyhaunis-based councillor noted that illegal dumping and littering are widespread issues in Mayo, and said she had also been made aware of cases in Claremorris and Knock.
“To have this oversight committee be so active, it is very encouraging,” she added, thanking all those involved in progressing the scheme.
Mayo County Council stated the CCTV operations will adhere to the Codes of Practice for the Operation of CCTV for the Purposes of Prevention, Detection, and Prosecution of Litter and Waste Offences.
This article has been funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.