Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 6 November 2012
673. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans for tackling the increasing problems due to illegal dumping, especially in Dublin city; his Department's assessment of the success, or otherwise, of the privatisation of waste collection in the area covered by Dublin City Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47648/12]
View answer704. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will introduce the necessary regulations or legislation requiring all waste management companies providing a domestic refuse collection service to Dublin households to clearly publish their charges in a prominent manner, including on their website. [47983/12]
View answer706. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he is satisfied with the service being provided by private contractors providing domestic refuse collection, specifically a company (details supplied); if he has received many complaints regarding poor customer service and repeated missed waste collections; where the standards are clearly not being adhered to, if he will consider some sort of local appeal system and a request for this service to establish a dedicated Oireachtas help line in view of the volume of complaints local representatives have received since the privatisation of this service. [47992/12]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 673, 704 and 706 together.
Illegal dumping and the operational implications of the transfer of waste collection services in the area covered by Dublin City Council are matters in the first instance for the City Council. My Department’s role is to provide a comprehensive legislative and waste policy framework through which the enforcement authorities, such as the City Council, operate. Penalties available under the Litter Pollution Acts for litter offences range from an on-the-spot fine of €150, to a maximum fine of €3,000 on summary conviction, and a maximum fine of €130,000 on conviction on indictment. The maximum fines for continuing offences are €600 per day for summary offences and €10,000 per day for indictable offences. A person convicted of a litter offence may also be required by the court to pay the local authority’s costs and expenses in investigating the offence and bringing the prosecution.
Penalties for more serious dumping offences available under the Waste Management Acts are also substantial. Persons who are found to be responsible for, or involved in, the unauthorised disposal of waste are liable to a maximum fine of €3,000 on summary conviction and/or imprisonment for up to 12 months, and to a maximum fine of €15 million on conviction on indictment and/or imprisonment for up to 10 years. It is at the discretion of the local authorities, which have responsibilities for enforcement of both the Litter Pollution Act and the Waste Management Act, to decide whether a specific incident warrants the application of either Act. Notwithstanding the very significant penalties outlined above, I am currently considering the introduction to the Waste Management Act of an on-the-spot fine for incidences of fly tipping/small scale illegal dumping, of a significantly higher quantum than that which exists under the Litter Pollution Act.
My Department has also recently run an anti-dumping campaign in the print media to raise awareness of the value of our countryside both environmentally and economically. The campaign includes the contact details for the National Environmental Complaints hotline (1850 365 121) to encourage the reporting of instances of illegal dumping. I believe that the combined efforts of the public, communities, local authorities and the Environmental Protection Agency will produce a reduction in such instances and result in a cleaner countryside.
In July 2012, I published A Resource Opportunity - Waste Management Policy in Ireland. This policy sets out a range of measures which will significantly revise the current regulatory regime to ensure, inter alia, that waste collected is managed in accordance with the waste hierarchy; that mandated service levels are delivered; and that Customer Charters are put in place by all waste collection providers. Customer Charters will be required to clearly set out information for customers in relation to issues such as charging structures, procedures for dealing with customers who may fall into arrears, and arrangements for switching from one waste collector to another. I have written to the waste management industry in relation to the development of such Customer Charters ahead of the development of the new regulatory regime. The work of developing new regulatory structures to give effect to these measures has commenced and my Department has begun engaging with a range of key stakeholders in relation to the detailed design of the new system. It is my intention that the improved regulatory regime will aid local authorities to deliver both enhanced environmental performance and to ensure a quality service for consumers.
