Councillors advocate for smart street bin for Laois tourism site
Recent dumping at the Catholes beauty spot
WIDELY considered one of the most peaceful hidden gems that the Slieve Bloom mountains has to offer, the Cathole Falls, set on the Owenass river near Rosenallis, has become a popular spot for tourists coming from all over the midlands, councillors are advocating for the installation of a ‘smart bin’ to combat persistent rubbish dumping.
Cathole Falls has become an especially popular spot with tourists from Laois, Offaly and Westmeath, who come for a range of outdoor activities, including picnicking, wild swimming, woodland hikes and to partake of the mobile sauna which sits off of the main area.
Reacting to consistent evidence of rubbish dumping in the area, Cllr James Kelly advocated for the installation of a smart street bin – specifically big belly bin – and additional car parking at the site to cater to the growing numbers of tourists flocking to the area every weekend.
Unfortunately, his proposal for a new ‘smart bin,’ which would have included a feature that notifies local rubbish collection services of the bin’s status, was rebutted by a representative of the area office, who said that the bin would cost between €5-6,000 to install, alongside the recurring subscription and maintenance fee that would need to be paid to the company to maintain its e-functionality.
The representative did, however, say that it would review the existing car parking capacity, explaining that various layouts are currently under investigation.
Reacting to that response, Cllr Kelly said that while it was undeniably expensive, if Laois Co Council wanted to compete and grow its tourism offerings, then it would have to become more comfortable with such installation expenditures.
Cllr Seamus McDonald, who seconded the motion, added: “And installing these units, I believe, will alleviate the dumping that’s been going on there.” Another councillor proposed that they consider installing signage in the area that would remind visitors and encourage them to take their rubbish home with them, making the case that he hadn’t seen any other such signs across in the county, arguing that might be a more cost-effective direction for them to go in.
