Fine Gael said it's time to 'name and shame' offenders of illegal dumping.

Kerry Senator, Paul Coghlan has suggested the idea of a website that would publicly list offenders who ignore or fail to pay their court fines for illegal dumping and said it's time to "think outside of the box".

He said: "For those who fail to pay the fixed penalty notice and are taken to court, their names should be published either on the website of their Local Authority or in the local newspaper.

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"The illegal dumping of rubbish is an issue that plagues both our rural countryside and our urban areas. It’s a source of embarrassment to Local Authorities and the thousands of people across this country who work all year round to keep their communities tidy.

"We need further action to reduce this crime, and protect our environment. A number of Local Authorities have installed CCTV operations in known litter blackspots, but not all authorities have the required finance to do so. A good example of how this can work is the approach of Dublin City Council in the North Inner City. The Council released 12 CCTV stills and erected them on a wall at Frankfort Cottages near the Five Lamps in Dublin."

(CD/LM)