Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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343. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if a similar system to the television licence system can be put in place to identify households that are not contracted to a refuse company for bin collections and verify the way in which their rubbish is being disposed of in order to assist in tackling the spate of dumping across many rural areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18564/18]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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Each local authority is responsible for the supervision and the enforcement of the relevant provisions of the Waste Management Act 1996 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 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.

Underpinning waste enforcement is state funding for waste enforcement officers. I have made €9 million available from the Environment Fund this year to support the Waste Enforcement Regional Lead Authorities and the recruitment and continued employment of a network of local authority waste enforcement officers. This investment is critical in providing an enhanced response on the ground to other infractions of the waste code.

Funding has been provided under the 2018 Anti-Dumping Initiative to support a pilot project undertaken by Sligo County Council aimed at tackling and addressing the source of illegal dumping. The aim of this project is to create and maintain a register of how households are managing their waste based on information provided by Waste Collectors. It is anticipated that this approach will facilitate the process of trying to deal with illegal dumping, burning of waste and unauthorised waste management and may form a model of best practice for other Local Authorities to adopt, which in turn will work towards curbing illegal dumping activity nationally.

The Regional Waste Management Planning Offices are also currently preparing a template to help standardise bye-laws on the presentation of waste. The draft template bye-laws aim to place the onus of proof on the householder to prove that they are managing their waste correctly by signing up to a waste collection service or providing receipts for the deposit of waste in authorised facilities.