Cecilia Keaveney (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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Question 242: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the supports which are available to a local authority to enable communities in rural and urban settings to clean up their areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25340/06]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Primary responsibility for developing and implementing responses to litter problems lies with local authorities. Each local authority determines its level of expenditure on individual local services, including assistance for clean-up operations, as part of its annual estimates process. Such expenditure is funded from a range of sources such as commercial rates, fees, charges and the general purpose grants from the Local Government Fund.

My Department provides financial support for a number of initiatives, which, inter alia, help foster local action against litter. These initiatives include The Irish Business Against Litter National Litter League, the Green Schools programme and the National Spring Clean campaign. In addition, my Department provides grants to local authorities for public education and awareness initiatives against litter.