Vol. 481 No. 4
16 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government whether he has satisfied himself with the operation of our litter laws; and the proposals, if any, he has for improvement in this regard. [16108/97]
189 Ms Clune asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the steps, if any, he has taken to tackle the serious litter problem in this country. [16451/97]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 16 and 189 together.
I have already dealt with aspects related to these questions in my reply to Priority Question No. 6 on today's order paper.
The new Litter Pollution Act came into operation three months ago on 1 July.
It provides a streamlined and expanded range of powers for local authorities to tackle the widespread problem of litter pollution. It spells out more clearly what occupiers of property must do to keep their property free of litter. It also sets out what local authorities must do as statutory authorities with responsibility for the prevention and control of litter in their own areas.
The new legislation replaces the more limited Litter Act, 1982 and deals with the shortcomings that were identified by local authorities in the old legislation. It is now a matter for local authorities to apply the new laws in their functional areas and my Department will be monitoring local authority progress in achieving this task. I firmly believe that local authorities want to tackle the problems of litter pollution. While I am confident that the new Act equips them with the necessary statutory powers for the purposes required, I will continue to monitor its operational effectiveness.
