Under the Litter Pollution Act, 1997, primary responsibility for the development of management and enforcement responses to litter pollution rests with local authorities. It is a matter for local authorities to develop and implement education and awareness campaigns suitable to the circumstances of their individual areas.
Each year my Department allocates grants, amounting to £350,000 in 1999, to local authorities to co-fund selected public education and awareness initiatives on litter. A similar grant scheme will operate in 2000 and consideration will be given in this context to any proposals made by local authorities in relation to the responsibilities of dog owners under the legislation.
As regards prosecutions, the enforcement figures submitted to my Department every six months by local authorities refer to all prosecutions taken under the legislation and are not broken down according to specific offences. These overall figures are available in the Oireachtas Library.