Vol. 555 No. 1
271 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government his proposals to enable penalties under the Litter Pollution Act, 1997, to be imposed on minors or on the parents of minors who spread litter. [17658/02]
The problem of litter pollution requires a wide range of responses, including education and awareness measures aimed at school children and young adults. Initiatives taken in this area include the National Spring Clean campaign administered by An Taisce with financial assistance from my Department, and the Green Schools campaign supported by my Department and largely funded by private business and local authority contributions; local authority work aimed at promoting litter awareness in schools and among young people generally; and the national cinema and outdoor poster advertising campaigns sponsored by my Department, which took place during the year.
On the specific issue of enforcement, the general law in relation to the prosecution of children, for which the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform has responsibility, also applies to the treatment of offenders under the Litter Pollution Act, 1997. Within this framework, it is a matter for local authorities to decide on the most appropriate enforcement action in individual instances of littering. I have no proposals to seek amendment of the law in this area on the lines referred to by the Deputy.
Question No. 272 answered with Question No. 18
