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By Dan Walsh at the July meeting of Wexford County Council

The Minister of State with responsibility for the Circular Economy Alan Dillon recently confirmed that he has signed the commencement order providing for a substantial increase in litter fines.

From September 1^st, 2026, the fixed-payment on-the-spot fine for littering will rise from €150 to €250.

The matter was raised at Monday’s monthly meeting of Wexford County Council held in the Council Chamber, County Hall, Wexford by Gorey Kilmuckridge Cllr Paddy Kavanagh who described the Minister’s action as “a joke.”

Cllr Kavanagh told the members of a disgusting and sickening event near Enniscorthy recently concerning illegal dumping or so-called fly tipping.

Cllr Kavanagh described approaching a black plastic sheet and when it was taken back it contained the decaying carcase of a dead goat! The smell was horrendous and Wexford County Council staff who are normally charged with removing illegal dumping content, were removed from the scene on health and safety grounds.  A knackery company had to be brought in at extra cost to remove the offensive carcase which threatened public health.

Cllr Kavanagh was angry and stated that the perpetrators should be fined “thousands of euro” and “should be locked up in jail!”

“I don’t expect to see an end to fly tipping,” said Cllr Kavanagh, who added; “Nobody ever seems to be caught! Yet, they can inflict rubbish on the community and on the outskirts of towns and villages. It is horrendous what they are doing to our environment and countryside”, added Cllr Kavanagh.

By Dan Walsh

Uisce Éireann is asking customers in parts of County Wexford to be mindful of their water use as night-time restrictions are being introduced to help maintain daytime water supplies for local communities.

The current spell of warm weather has led to a significant increase in water demand across the county, with demand exceeding the volume of water that can be treated and distributed in some areas.

To help treated water reservoirs recover overnight and protect daytime supplies, night-time restrictions will be in place from 11pm until 6 am each night until further notice.
The restrictions will apply to customers in the Courtown North, Killenagh, Kilmuckridge North and Clonroche areas.

Customers may experience low water pressure or temporary interruptions to supply during these hours.

These restrictions form part of a wider range of measures being implemented to protect water supplies across County Wexford during a period of sustained warm weather and exceptionally high demand.

Padraig Lyng, Water Operations Manager with Uisce Éireann, said to WexfordLocal.com; “Last week, we appealed to customers across Wexford to reduce non-essential water use. While many customers have responded and are making an effort to conserve water, demand remains exceptionally high and continues to outstrip the volume of water that can be treated and supplied in these areas.

“Night-time restrictions are now required to protect daytime supplies and allow treated water reservoirs to recover overnight. Taking this action now will help safeguard water supplies for homes, businesses, farms and essential services across the affected communities.”

“We are asking everyone to continue playing their part by using water wisely and reducing non-essential use wherever possible. Every small action can collectively make a real difference during this period of exceptionally high demand,” stated Mr. Lyng.

Simple steps taken at home, on farms, in gardens and in businesses can make a real difference in protecting supplies during this period. Water conservation tips and advice are available on water.ie. For further updates, visit the Water Service Updates section of water.ie.