Under the Litter Pollution Act, 1997, primary responsibility for the development of management and enforcement responses to litter pollution, including litter in tourist areas, rests with the individual local authorities.
I share the widespread concern at the extent of our national litter pollution problem. I have, therefore, been pursuing a major programme of measures to support more effective local authority action against litter. Earlier this year, I allocated £350,000 in grants to local authorities to co-fund selected public education and awareness initiatives against litter. A national litter pollution monitoring system is being developed to monitor and assess local authority litter management and enforcement action – this will be operational in the new year. I have provided financial support for the An Taisce-led National Spring Clean 1999, which took place in April and included a central role for local authorities. A national anti-litter forum was established last July to promote greater sectoral involvement, in particular on the part of the business and commercial sectors, in anti-litter initiatives. The forum is reviewing the current actions targeting litter pollution and developing a programme of measures to enhance and extend those responses. I intend to increase the on-the-spot fine for alleged offences under the Litter Pollution Act and will be announcing the details shortly.
I will continue to work actively with local authorities and the various sectors to secure effective implementation of the range of ongoing measures and to develop new anti-litter initiatives.