Those prosecuted also have to pay legal costs and the litter warden's expenses. Ms Feeney has to go to incredible lengths to get prosecutions. She roots through bags searching for documents with names and addresses. Usually they are torn in pieces and she searches until she finds the full name and then goes home to piece the document together. This woman, who was a national school teacher for 22 years, gets all her job satisfaction from seizing upon that vital piece of evidence she needs to get a culprit into court.
Dedication is a job requirement.
She has come across dead lambs and even dead horses and there are health dangers, particularly from rats. She estimates that about two-thirds of the rubbish she finds could either be recycled or composted. Bottles and cans make up a large part of it. The scene at Culleens, which has already been cleared twice by the council, is by no means unique in the county and such illegal dumping probably happens in every county in the State. Rubbish is regularly dumped at some of Sligo's most scenic spots with people taking advantage of litter bins to dispose of domestic rubbish.