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Noah Kahan

Stick Season

Taxpayers Hit With €200K Bill To Clean Up Waste Dumped On The Curragh

The number of illegal encampments has also increased.

Taxpayers have shelled out nearly €200,000 this year to clean up waste dumped on the Curragh Plains.

Independent TD Patricia Ryan said it's an "astonishing sum".

The figures were obtained following questions submitted to Tánaiste Micheál Martin.

"The Curragh is one of Ireland’s natural treasures, a  beautiful amenity, used by farmers, sports institutions and ordinary Kildare people. It must be protected for everyone to enjoy, and not permitted to be destroyed by a few careless people," she said.

Meanwhile, in 2020, the number of illegal encampments reported in 2020 was 19.

Numbers then decreased slightly in 2021 to 13 before rising to 20 in 2022.

In 2023, there were 15 reported encampments, followed by a sharp increase to 25 in 2024.

Alongside the growing number of encampments, the number of caravans at a single site has also increased.

In 2020, the highest concentration was 26 caravans in one location; this figure rose to 32 in 2021, dipped to 30 in 2022, and dropped slightly to 28 in 2023.

This year, however, saw the highest concentration yet, with 33 caravans reported at one encampment.

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