Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government received the text of a resolution adopted by Wicklow County Council that calls on him to hold a local public inquiry concerning the issuing of a waste permit for certain lands at Ballybeg, County Wicklow. The Minister wants to make clear how seriously he takes any matters relating to illegal dumping of waste and, in this context, he considers it important to place on the record of the House some of the actions which have been taken in this regard.

Considerable progress has been made by the relevant statutory agencies in dealing with illegal waste activity. In particular, since the establishment of the Office of Environmental Enforcement in 2003, enforcement has been better structured through the establishment of a national enforcement network. The OEE and the enforcement network have greatly raised awareness and brought about better practice and a more co-ordinated and consistent approach to environmental enforcement by the relevant authorities. Annual supporting funding from the Department's environment fund of over €7.5 million has led to some 120 additional local authority enforcement personnel and a greatly enhanced response on the ground.

In October 2005, the OEE published a major study, "The Nature and Extent of Unauthorised Waste Activity in Ireland", which concluded that large-scale illegal dumping is no longer occurring but local authorities now have to cope with problems such as fly-tipping and backyard burning. Two ministerial policy directions issued in May 2005 and July 2008 provided guidance where illegal deposition is discovered. The policy direction issued in 2005 sets the standard in terms of the expected response from the regulatory authorities, which are obliged to ensure that the necessary remedial measures will be taken to ensure that sites are restored and that waste illegally deposited is appropriately disposed of or recovered. The 2008 direction deals with the use of sanctions to ensure effective actions against those involved in unauthorised waste activities.

On the criminal side, the National Bureau of Criminal Investigations has been involved in the context of the illegal dumping of waste in County Wicklow and criminal proceedings have occurred. These proceedings have resulted in a fine of €150,000 in one case and a six-month prison sentence in another.

Regarding the Ballybeg case, the Minister has arranged for all departmental records recently released under the Access to Information on the Environment Regulations 2007 to be furnished to the cathaoirleach of Wicklow County Council with the strong recommendation that they be circulated to all members of the council without delay. He will also be arranging for them to be forwarded to all Oireachtas Members for County Wicklow. The Minister assures the House that the request from Wicklow County Council for an inquiry will be examined carefully. Such examination will, inter alia, take into account the study carried out by the Local Government Audit Service in 2005. I am sure the Deputy would agree that it is important that we approach the issue in a way that is systematic, fair and proportionate.

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