Rat jumps out of bottle bank in Limerick as woman recycles her goods

A RAT jumped out of a bottle bank in County Limerick as a woman was putting in her recycled goods.

The shocking incident occurred in recent weeks in Bruree, according to a local resident who is sick of the "constant dumping".

"It's people who have no bins just pulling up and dumping their household rubbish and driving off. It's disgusting and is happening the whole time. There are dirty nappies, food, old buggies - you name it.

"We are plagued with vermin because of it. A rat jumped out of one of the bottle banks as a woman was putting in her stuff. She got an awful fright. She ran out on the road screaming with the shock - she could have been killed," said the local resident.

"I went out today to buy rat poison that cost me €18 to try and stop them coming into the house. The only solution to this is put up cameras to stop them dumping," they added.

Local councillors are well aware of the situation with Cllrs Mike Donegan and PJ Carey highlighting the issue at the bottle banks in Bruree, located on the Kilmallock side of the village.

Cllr Donegan said there has been "ongoing dumping".

"I will be asking for clarification at our municipal district meeting this week in relation to the use of mobile CCTV cameras by Limerick City and County Council for processing personal data when using this surveillance for law enforcement. The Circular Economy and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2022 became law last September providing for the GDPR compliant use of CCTV for waste enforcement purposes.

"It is very disappointing to see we still have litter dumping occurring in black spots like Bruree recycling area, which has been reported to the council on numerous occasions. Tidy Towns groups and those that go out every week to clean up their communities deserve better," said Cllr Donegan.

Cllr Carey said he is on the Environment SPC and will be raising the matter.

"Perhaps the bins need to be moved? There are reports of dead rodents as well. It's a terrible kick in the face for the Tidy Towns volunteers. It is almost certainly not people from Bruree as l am sure that the proud people of Bruree would not do such a thing," said Cllr Carey, who thanked the bottle bank company for their swift responses to remove the rubbish from Bruree.

"But that can't go on. It is a disgusting abuse of a great amenity. I have requested a meeting with the director of services to discuss and find solutions to this continuous fly-tipping problem and to look for funding for CCTV," said Cllr Carey.

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A spokesperson for Limerick City and County Council confirmed they have received a number complaints in relation to dumping at this location in Bruree this year.

"These complaints have been investigated and the material removed by the council and the site cleaned. One litter fine has issued as a result of our investigations.

"The council has increased its litter patrols of the bottle banks and will continue to review the operation of the facility. CCTV may become an option in the future but at present the council waits a national CCTV scheme to be agreed with the department.

"The council will continue to clean the area as required and take enforcement action against any offenders found," said the spokesperson, who encouraged the local community to pass on any information to the council that would help their investigation.

Information can be given confidentially to the customer service team who can be contacted at 061 556000 or customerservices@limerick.ie