Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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517. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the estimated amount it would cost in 2020 if the budget for local authority anti-litter anti-graffiti awareness grant increased by 50%; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43623/19]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The Local Authority Anti-Litter and Anti-Graffiti Awareness Grant Scheme (ALAGS) aims to assist local authorities in their efforts to raise awareness of the litter and graffiti problems in their respective functional areas. Local Authorities are responsible for selecting suitable anti-litter awareness projects for funding and deciding on the grant allocations in individual cases. These should seek to promote greater public awareness and education in relation to litter and graffiti and should, as far as possible, have a particular focus on voluntary initiatives by community and environmental groups, and on involving schools and young people in anti-litter and anti-graffiti action.

My role as Minister is to provide an appropriate legislative and national policy framework through which the issue of litter can be addressed. The Litter Pollution Act 1997 provides the statutory framework to combat litter pollution. Under the Act, the primary management and enforcement responsibility rests with the local authorities.

The 2019 allocation from my Department towards ALAGS is €771,500. The additional cost of increasing this contribution by a further 50% would be in the order of €385,750.