Litter fines issued by Roscommon County Council generated thousands of euro over the last 12 months. However, illegal dumping measures in the county have cost the state tens of thousands, €65,360.68, over the past year.
At a recent meeting of the local authority, Cllr Tom Crosby asked for a report on the “indiscriminate dumping and littering offences” in the county over the last 12 months.
In response, the council said that a total of 62 litter fines were issued, with 39 being paid. Of the reminder, 13 were cancelled, five were before the courts, and five were subject to ongoing reviews.
In total €9,526 was generated from the fines in the past 12 months, with €5,850 paid within the period. A further €2,626 was received from the courts service prior to the 12 months. The remaining €1,050 related to fines issued before the last 12 months and paid within the time frame.
The on the spot fine for littering is €150 and the maximum fine on conviction in court is €3,000.
In a related question, the independent councillor also asked the council to detail the current annual cost incurred by Roscommon County Council in relation to the management, control, and remediation of indiscriminate littering and illegal dumping across the county.
This included spending €2,574.81 on legal fees, and €1,139.38 on cleaning up illegal dumping sites. Between July 1st 2024 and June 30th 2025, illegal dumping cost the Athlone Municipal District €6,430.47, the Boyle MD €5,593.35, and the Roscommon MD €6,372.43. A further €5,476.44 was spent during clean up week.
The largest cost, €37,773.80, was spent on an anti-dumping initiative, with the funding coming from the department of the environment, climate, and communications.
