Michael McNamara (Clare, Labour)
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Question 414: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the way both the Litter Pollution Act and Waste Management Act are working with particular emphasis on the number of prosecutions; the difficulties, if any, being notified; and the reported findings and results of local authority litter operational plans or national results or both. [15438/11]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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In 2008, there were 8,151 waste enforcement notices issued and 695 prosecutions initiated under the Waste Management Acts. Overall, this represents a very significant quantum of enforcement, consistent with the findings of the Office of Environmental Enforcement's report Focus on Environmental Enforcement in Ireland, covering the period 2006 to 2008, which indicates that the handling of waste-related complaints has significantly improved. More up-to-date information in relation to numbers of enforcement actions may be available from individual local authorities.

The most recently available statistics in respect of the Litter Pollution Act indicate that in 2009, 3,074 prosecutions were initiated and 22,830 on-the-spot fines were issued. The Litter Pollution Act also requires that local authorities have in place litter management plans, which must be reviewed every three years, and sets out a range of matters which must be incorporated into these plans. These individual plans are available on the local authorities' websites. The National Litter Pollution Monitoring System Report for 2009, which is available on my Department's website and on www.litter.ie , indicated an ongoing improvement in litter levels across the country; I intend to publish the 2010 report shortly.

In general, I am satisfied with the adequacy and appropriateness of the enforcement powers available under the Waste Management Acts and the maximum penalties of a fine of up to €15m and/or imprisonment for up to 10 years for waste-related offences. The Litter Pollution Act provides for penalties for offences ranging from an on-the-spot fine of €150, to a maximum fine of €3,000 on summary conviction, to a maximum fine of €130,000 on conviction on indictment. While I have no immediate plans for legislative change in these matters I am keeping the performance in both areas under regular review, particularly in terms of the effectiveness of enforcement. In that context, I will also be considering the relevant recommendations in the report of the EPA Review Group which I have recently published and which is available on my Department's website www.environ.ie .