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Illegal dumping in a cul-de-sac in a city suburb has turned
it into, arguably, the capital's filthiest area.
Despite continuous efforts by the local council to clean
up Dunsink Lane in Finglas, it remains a rat-infested health
hazard.
Dunsink Lane has long been plagued by illegal fly-tipping
and dumping - but, more than five years since it was barricaded
to stop dumping, the problem has persisted on a serious scale.
Local councillor Dessie Ellis says the laneway, which is
3kms long, is constantly covered in everything from household
to commercial waste. "You find everything - household stuff,
kitchen sinks and cars, vans and trucks. They're not just
dumped in the lane, but they're also buried in the field close
to it - a substantial amount of it is."
Dunsink hit the headlines in October, 2004, when a concrete
barrier was erected at the end of the lane by Fingal County
Council to prevent dumping - and more than 40 traveller families
protested at the inconvenience it would cause them.
The barrier was moved to another location on the lane, but
full-scale illegal dumping, some of which is believed to be
carried out by organised crime gangs, has caused the area
to develop into a disgusting health hazard.
Cllr Ellis is calling for the road to be cleaned up, reopened
and for the ditches to be stripped back so that all activity
taking place is in clear view of the gardaí and the
council.
Cllr Ellis says the laneway has taken on a life of its own
since the barrier was put up and it is a dangerous area to
enter. "Dumping alone is criminal activity and a lot of activities
taking place on Dunsink Lane have a criminal element. It's
just been left to its own devices and it's criminal what's
going on."
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Fingal County Council said
- "We have to devote considerable resources to Dunsink Lane.
Every couple of months we have to do a clean-up on it. We
do regular unplanned check points in Dunsink and we work with
the Criminal Assets Bureau, the gardaí and Dublin City
Council on it."
She added - "Our primary concern is the safety of the people
involved in enforcement, so we have to have a very co-ordinated
campaign."
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