Noel Grealish (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

On two occasions in the past year I have raised the scourge of illegal dumping, the damage it causes to the environment and water supplies and the fact that it is a blight on the landscape.

Penalties for those caught in the act of illegal dumping are not strict enough. It is ridiculous that a person caught on CCTV in the act of illegal dumping cannot be brought to court. It was recently reported that illegal dumping is costing local authorities up to €90 million a year to clean up and this does not factor in the time and effort put in by Tidy Towns committees and other volunteers. There is increased frustration that little is being done to tackle this problem which is getting completely out of control. On two separate occasions I have asked for a task force to be established, consisting of An Garda Síochána, departmental officials and local authorities, to deal with this situation. They must be given real powers including the power to use CCTV footage and the power to seize vehicles and equipment involved in illegal dumping with severe penalties imposed for those caught in the act and for the release of these vehicles.

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