Vol. 518 No. 1
142 Mrs. Owen asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the element of funding available to local authorities to enable them to employ litter wardens; the number of litter wardens actually hired in each county out of the money allocated by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11026/00]
It is a matter for each local authority to determine the level of expenditure on individual services, including on the employment of litter wardens, as part of the annual estimates process. Such expenditure is funded from a variety of sources including the local government fund and other State grants, rates, fees and charges.
Grants totalling nearly £1 million have been made available through my Department's vote since 1997 for local authority litter education or awareness initiatives and similar funding will be provided in 2000. Grants totalling nearly £340 million have been allocated to local authorities from the local government fund this year to assist in meeting their expenditure needs generally. It is a matter for each local authority to allocate its share of this funding, as well as other resources available to them, to particular services including litter services.
