Written answers

Tuesday, 17 April 2018

Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment

Illegal Dumping

Photo of Margaret Murphy O'MahonyMargaret Murphy O'Mahony (Cork South West, Fianna Fail)
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1158. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the amount allocated to Cork County Council for clean-up projects to tackle illegal dumping in each of the years from 2015 to 2017 and to date in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15260/18]

Photo of Margaret Murphy O'MahonyMargaret Murphy O'Mahony (Cork South West, Fianna Fail)
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1159. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of bogus waste collectors prosecuted, by local authority area, in each of the years from 2015 to 2017 and to date in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15261/18]

Photo of Margaret Murphy O'MahonyMargaret Murphy O'Mahony (Cork South West, Fianna Fail)
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1160. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of prosecutions and convictions, respectively, for illegal dumping and on the spot fines in County Cork since 2012, by local area district; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15262/18]

Photo of Denis NaughtenDenis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1158 to 1160, inclusive, together.

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) and my Department does not compile statistics in relation to prosecutions taken or fines imposed. 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, my 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. Cork County Council receives a grant of €455,000 in this regard.

In addition, my 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. I secured funding of €1.26 million for the 2017 Anti-Dumping Initiative which supported over 200 projects across the country. Cork County Council received an allocation of €40,229 under this initiative. 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.

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