Martin Daly (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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132. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will allocate specific funding to protect tourism hotspots from illegal dumping, such as the Shannon fishing areas; and whether a national anti-dumping strategy could include targeted surveillance or cleanup grants for these regions. [48548/25]

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Under the Waste Management Act, the primary responsibility for management and enforcement responses to illegal dumping lies with the local authorities. It is a matter for each local authority to determine the most appropriate awareness, enforcement, clean-up and disposal actions in relation to illegal dumping in their functional area, taking account of local circumstances and priorities.

The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage are responsible for the provision of annual budgetary allocations to all local authorities to fund their various activities and services, including waste related activities. However, in 2017 in line with Programme for Government commitments to work with local authorities to tackle illegal dumping and to develop effective deterrents to discourage people from engaging in such anti-social behaviour, my Department established the Anti-Dumping Initiative (ADI).

Over €20 million has been provided to local authorities under the ADI since it was launched, including almost €2.8 million in 2024, to encourage a collaborative approach between local authorities, community groups and other State Agencies to tackling the problem of illegal dumping. Funding provided under the ADI can be utilised by local authorities to organise clean-ups, purchase CCTV and other mobile recording equipment and put in place effective enforcement measures. A further €3 million has been allocated to local authorities under the ADI in 2025. It is a matter for the local authorities to apply for this funding through the Waste Enforcement Regional Lead Authorities, who administer the scheme on behalf of my Department.

Full details of the amounts provided to individual local authorities under the ADI for each of the years 2017 - 2024, including details of the specific projects funded by county, many of which would have taken place in tourist areas are available at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/e27ac-anti-dumping-initiative/.