Environment
Use of Loudspeakers
Use of public address systems in public places requires permission from the Council. The Council has certain restrictions on use, the location etc. You should contact the Town Council office for further details.
Litter
Leaving or throwing litter in a public place is an offence which can be subject to an on-the-spot fine of 125 euro or a maximum fine of 1,904.61. A person convicted of a litter offence may also be required by the court to pay the local authority's costs and expenses in investigating the offence and bringing the prosecution.
If you are the owner or the person responsible for a place to which the public has access, you are obliged to keep the place litter free, regardless of how the litter got there. This applies to any public place which may include the precincts of a shopping centre, a school campus, a public park, or a train / bus station.
The owner or occupier of property which can be seen from a public place is obliged to keep it free of litter. Basically, any outdoor area on your property that is visible from a public place must be kept free of litter.
Illegal dumping
The litter laws have increased the powers of local authorities to combat the problem of illegal dumping of refuse and rubbish. Where a local authority finds material that is illegally dumped and establishes the identity of the owner of the material, that person will have a case to answer without necessarily having to be caught in the act.
Extra powers are also available to local authorities to require a householder or business operator to indicate how and where they are disposing of their waste. This is particularly relevant if the householder or business owner is not availing of a refuse collection service or bringing their waste to an authorised disposal facility.
If you see someone dumping illegally, report the matter to your local authority who will investigate and take any necessary enforcement action.
Dog Fouling
Dog owners must now remove their pets' waste from public places and dispose of it in a proper manner. This obligation applies to the following places:
- public roads and footpaths
- areas around shopping centres
- school / sports grounds
- beaches
- the immediate area surrounding another person's house
Advertising Flyers
The placing of advertising leaflets on car windscreens is prohibited and if you are proposing to distribute advertising leaflets in the street, you should first check with the local authority to see if they have introduced any local litter restrictions, which they are entitled to do.
