Sir, - If anything, Redmond O'Hanlon (April 18th) understates the present appalling condition of the Dodder.
This morning I walked both banks of the river from Riverside Cottages down to Rathfarnham Bridge, and I have never seen it in a more deplorable state. Every briar, bush and tree branch within feet of the watercourse was festooned with plastic of every shade, shape and size, along with wooden pallets, beer kegs, strips of carpet, etc.
This is no new phenomenon. For years, through my local TD and councillor, by verbal and written approaches to the Minister for the Environment and his Department, and through correspondence and discussion with the County Manager and his staff I have tried to have something effective done.
Four years ago I wrote to the Minister, enclosing photographs showing the condition of the riverbanks but it took his Department three months to reply - and then to the effect that "the Litter Act 1982 requires local authorities to take measures for the prevention of litter and for dealing with the effects of litter in their area so as to improve the quality of the physical environment." Accordingly my complaint was being forwarded to South Dublin County Council for appropriate action!
Two years later, as the condition of the river was as bad as ever, I videoed my local stretch of the riverbank and sent a copy to the County Manager. In response I received a long letter intimating that in 1996 a strategy had been "drafted by the council which sets performance standards for the council to attain. On foot of this strategy and an initiative by the Minister for the Environment we have drawn up a litter action plan."
That the river is back in the same or more disgraceful condition two years on does not say much for the plan or its implementation.
Why do we have an Environment Department and all of these words, plans and strategies when, effectively, it is glaringly obvious that nobody in authority gives a damn about the environment? - Yours, etc.,
Joseph F. Walsh
Templeville Park, Templeogue, Dublin 6W.