Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 266: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will make a statement on the illegal diesel laundering and the dumping of toxic sludge on the roadside in County Louth which has resulted in Louth County Council spending over €250,000 in disposing of this sludge. [36177/05]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Enforcement in relation to illegal diesel laundering activities is primarily a matter for the Revenue Commissioners. However, over the last two years my Department has provided funding of €823,930 to Louth County Council on an exceptional basis in recognition of the particular difficulties which arose for that authority in responding to instances of illegal dumping of oil-laundering residues, particularly in relation to costs incurred by them in arranging for the safe disposal abroad of the hazardous materials involved.

I recognise that a complete solution to this problem is difficult to arrive at and must necessarily involve more effective and co-ordinated enforcement of the law from both a revenue and waste management perspective. In that context, my Department has recently met with representatives of the Revenue Commissioners, the local authorities concerned and the Office of Environmental Enforcement to seek to identify more effective enforcement solutions, and these contacts will continue. I am also aware of enhanced co-operation on this and other waste management issues between the relevant enforcement authorities on both sides of the Border, involving the Garda Síochána, the Police Service of Northern Ireland and other enforcement agencies, through the enforcement network which has been established by the Office of Environmental Enforcement.