Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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238. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the state aid which will be given to community groups to combat illegal dumping; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6402/17]

Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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239. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the amount of funding his Department has allotted to fighting illegal dumping for each of the years 2012 to 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6403/17]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 238 and 239 together.

Each local authority is responsible for the supervision and the enforcement of the relevant provisions of the Waste Management Act in relation to the holding, recovery and disposal of waste within its functional area. Local authorities have specific powers under 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 such activity.

My role, as Minister, is to provide the legislative and policy framework under which both local authority and Environmental Protection Agency 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 of the EPA as appropriate.

Notwithstanding this arrangement, my Department encourages a multi-facetted approach to tackling the problem, incorporating enforcement, public awareness and education and, as such, provides funding to support the activities of the Waste Enforcement Regional Lead Authorities and the network of local authority waste enforcement officers. In this regard, from 2012 to 2016 some €37 million has been allocated by my Department to support local authority waste enforcement with a further €9.35 million being allocated this year to ensure that effective waste enforcement capacity is maintained.

In addition and 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 €5.37 million being made to local authorities from 2012 to 2016.

I intend to support a new anti-dumping initiative in the near future. Its aim is to provide specific funding for projects tackling illegal dumping in particular black spots. Further information will be available from the Environment Section of each local authority at that point.