Written answers

Tuesday, 17 January 2017

Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources

Illegal Dumping

Photo of Niamh SmythNiamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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1468. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if additional funding is being provided to either Cavan or Monaghan county councils to combat illegal dumping in view of the fact that county councils do not have the resources at present; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1831/17]

Photo of Denis NaughtenDenis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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In accordance with section 59(1) of the Waste Management Act, 1996, each local authority is responsible generally for the supervision and the enforcement of the relevant provisions of the Act in relation to the holding, recovery and disposal of waste within its functional area. Local authorities have specific powers under sections 55 and 56 of the Act to require measures to be taken, or to take measures directly, to prevent or limit environmental pollution caused or likely to be caused by the holding, recovery or disposal of waste, and to mitigate or remedy the effects on the environment of any such activity.

The primary responsibility for the management of any waste, including costs for removal or disposal, lies with the holder of the waste, i.e. the natural or legal person in possession of the waste, or the producer of the waste. The Waste Management Act imposes a general duty of care on holders of waste, under which a person may not hold, transport, recover or dispose of waste in a manner that causes, or is likely to cause environmental pollution.

My role, as Minister, is to provide the legislative and policy framework under which both local authority and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) enforcement action against illegal dumping is initiated. Enforcement action against illegal waste activity is a matter for the local authorities and the Office of Environmental Enforcement (OEE) of the EPA as appropriate.

Notwithstanding this arrangement, my Department encourages a multi-faceted approach to tackling the problem, incorporating enforcement, public awareness and education and, as such, provides funding to support the activities of a network of local authority waste enforcement officers. In this regard, since the introduction of the local authority waste enforcement grant in 2003, Cavan and Monaghan County Councils have received €3.04 million and €2.9 million respectively.

In recognition of the particular difficulties border counties have experienced in dealing with diesel laundering waste dumping, my Department has also fully reimbursed the substantial clean-up costs associated with this nefarious practice with payments of €1.9 million being made to Monaghan County Council from 2008 to date.

This year will also see the launch of a new anti-dumping initiative. Its aim is to provide funding for projects tackling illegal dumping including the provision of support for monitoring and surveillance of dumping black spots. Funding will be allocated to projects where community groups and other state agencies work in partnership to clean-up and prevent illegal dumping. I anticipate that this initiative will be launched early this year and further information will be available from the Environment Section of each local authority at that point.

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