Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 12 Dec 2000

Vol. 528 No. 1

Written Answers. - Litter Pollution.

Brian O'Shea

Question:

43 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he will consider the provision of targeted funding to local authorities to assist enforcement of litter laws, especially having regard to the evidence that litter is having a serious negative impact on tourism; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25966/00]

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment and Local Government (Mr. D. Wallace)

It is a matter for each local authority to determine the level of expenditure on individual local services as part of its annual estimates process. Such expenditure is funded from a variety of sources, including the Local Government Fund, rates, fees and charges. Local authorities may use these general sources of funding, inter alia, to intensify enforcement of the litter laws, including in tourist areas.

In addition, since 1997 I have allocated a total of almost £1.4 million to local authorities for public education and awareness initiatives against litter. My Department also provides financial support for the An Taisce led project, national spring clean, aimed at raising public awareness and participation in local anti-litter clean-ups and awareness actions to improve the local environment; the project, which provides a key role for local authorities, has been run for the past two years and will run again in 2001. Total Exchequer funding for anti-litter measures in 2001 will be £950,000, an increase of nearly 19% on the 2000 provision.

Ultimately, primary responsibility for the development and implementation of management and enforcement responses to deal with the litter problem rests with local authorities under the Litter Pollution Act, 1997. I am satisfied that, since 1997, local authorities have been extending their use of the enhanced powers available to them under the Act to combat litter; enforcement figures for the second half of 1999 – the latest consolidated national figures available – showing the number of litter wardens employed, prosecutions taken and on-the-spot fines issued are available in the Oireachtas Library.

In these circumstances I have no proposals to introduce a new stream of funding along the lines suggested by the Deputy.