Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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576. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of arrests for illegal dumping that have taken place by county council area in each of the years 2015 to 2017 and to date in 2018. [9375/18]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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My Department does not compile statistics in relation to prosecutions taken or number of arrests. Enforcement actions against illegal waste activity are a matter for the Local Authorities and the Office of Environmental Enforcement (OEE) within the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Information is available through the Local Government Management Agency’s series of service indicators annual reports available from the publications section of the LGMA’s website and the enforcement section of the EPA’s website . Illegal dumping is first and foremost a matter of individual responsibility and compliance with the law.  While enforcement action in this area is a matter in the first instance for local authorities, the Department encourages a multi-facetted approach to tackling the problem, incorporating enforcement, public awareness and education and, as such, the Department provides funding to support the activities of the Waste Enforcement Regional Lead Authorities (WERLAs) of approximately €1 million per annum and of the network of local authority waste enforcement officers of approximately €7.4 million per annum. 

In addition, the Department has developed an Anti-Dumping Initiative to work in partnership with local authorities and community organisations in identifying high risk or problem areas, developing appropriate enforcement responses and carrying out clean-up operations. The 2017 Anti-Dumping Initiative saw funding of €1.26 million provided by the Department which supported 229 projects across the country.  This year, I am increasing the allocation to €2 million to build on the momentum that has now been created and to provide for an increased focus on identifying and prosecuting illegal dumpers.