Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I agree with the Deputy in terms of the appalling impact illegal dumping has on our community, our landscape and the environment, and it needs to be dealt with in an uncompromising way. However, the laws are strong enough in that area, for example, under current waste legislation vehicles involved in the carrying out of suspected unlawful waste activity can be seized and, if it is successfully prosecuted, such vehicles can be disposed of as the competent authority sees fit.

This morning I asked the Minister responsible, Deputy Eamon Ryan, to look at this and I will also ask him if the powers and capacity of the local authorities can be strengthened to make sure there is no legal doubt about the utilisation of CCTV in terms of gathering evidence to investigate and detect illegal dumping, and to prosecute those responsible for illegal dumping. No one in society wants to condone that or facilitate their evasion of prosecution on technical grounds.

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