Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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1532. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the north inner city of Dublin as a black spot for littering; his plans to reduce the incidence of littering there; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33829/14]

Paudie Coffey (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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The Litter Pollution Acts 1997 to 2009 provide the statutory framework to combat litter. Under the Acts, the primary management and enforcement response to littering is a matter for the local authorities.

Local authorities are independent statutory bodies, with democratically elected councils and their own management systems and as such, it is a matter for individual authorities to determine the most appropriate course of action to tackle litter pollution, within the context of national policy and legislation. It is also a matter for each local authority to decide on the most appropriate public awareness, enforcement and clean-up actions in relation to litter, taking account of their own local circumstances and priorities. Accordingly, it is a matter for Dublin City Council to manage its own response to littering in the north inner city and elsewhere in its functional area.

To support local authorities, under the 2014 Anti-Litter & Anti-Graffiti Awareness Grant Scheme, my Department has made grants available from the Environment Fund to provide funding support to appropriate public education and awareness initiatives in relation to both litter and graffiti. A total of €850,000 is available under the scheme this year.

My Department also announced the provision of a further €2.975 million to local authorities for a dedicated Public Area Enhancement scheme for the busy summer tourist season. This additional, once-off funding was provided to support local authorities’ efforts to prepare and maintain their public areas in an effort to maximise the economic benefits that can flow from increased visitors to their towns, cities and counties.

A total of €171,040 has been allocated to Dublin City Council under these two schemes.