I propose to take Questions Nos. 162 and 163 together.
The Litter Pollution Act, 1997, which came into operation on 1 July 1997, provides the necessary legislative framework to deal with the problem of litter and graffiti. Under the Act, the primary management and enforcement response must come from the local authorities. Information on the implementation of the Act is set out in the reply to Question No. 151 of 3 December 1998.
Since taking up office, I have pursued the following programme of action to combat litter pollution. In the second half of 1997, I undertook, through my Department, a factual information campaign to inform the general public of their duties and responsibilities under the 1997 Act. This included the printing and circulation to local authorities and the general public of an information leaflet about the new litter laws, the supply of generic advertising material to local authorities and an information campaign on local radio. In September 1997, my colleague, Minister Dempsey commissioned a second national litter survey which was presented to my Department in December, 1997. This survey was a follow-up to the initial survey carried out in October 1995, and it has been used by me in targeting action against litter. I have allocated almost £650,000 in grants to local authorities between 1997 and 1998 to co-fund selected public education and awareness initiatives on litter.
I am developing a national litter pollution monitoring system to monitor and assess local authority litter management and enforcement action, which will become operational in the first half of 1999. The system will also help to identify and eliminate litter blackspots. Local authorities will be able to use the data produced to review needs and priorities at local level to prevent and control litter, and to target appropriate action to implement them.