Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 1 June 2017
209. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the offences and penalties that apply to those collecting waste on an informal basis, that is, those that collect waste for payment without the required permit. [26295/17]
View answer210. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of successful prosecutions of persons found to dump waste illegally. [26296/17]
View answer211. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the steps he is taking to reduce the volume of illegal waste disposal here. [26297/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 209 to 211, inclusive, together.
Enforcement action against illegal waste activity, including the unauthorised collection of waste and illegal dumping is a matter for local authorities and the Office of Environmental Enforcement of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Department does not compile statistics in relation to the number of prosecutions taken. Such statistics are accessible through the Local Government Management Agency’s series of service indicators annual reports available from the publications section of the LGMA’s website http://www.lgma.ie/en/serviceindicators/2004to2013 and the enforcement section of the EPA’s website www.epa.ie/enforcement/prosecute.
Section 34 of the Waste Management Act 1996 requires all bodies involved in the commercial collection of waste to have this activity authorised by a waste collection permit. Penalties available under the Waste Management Acts are substantial. Persons who are found to be responsible for, or involved in, the unauthorised disposal or collection of waste are liable to a Class A fine 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.
Waste enforcement is supported by state funding for waste enforcement officers. I have made €9 million available from the Environment Fund this year to support the Waste Enforcement Regional Lead Authorities (WERLAs) and the recruitment and continued employment of a network of local authority waste enforcement officers. This investment is critical in tackling issues such as illegal dumping in local communities and in providing an enhanced response on the ground to other infractions of the waste code.
My Department has also developed an anti-dumping initiative to work in partnership with local authorities and community organisations in identifying high risk or problem areas, developing appropriate enforcement responses and carrying out clean-up operations. In response to the hugely positive reaction from local authorities and communities since I launched this measure, I have made further funds available to support it. The initial allocation of €650,000 has been doubled with total funding of €1.3 million now being made available to support the clean-up of dumping black-spots and to target those who engage in this illegal practice.
Successful applications from the initial phase included projects that will equip authorities with the latest enforcement technologies including overt and covert surveillance equipment and drone technology to target dumpers. A range of clean-up and restorative projects led by community, environmental and sporting groups have also been approved. The extra funds will support strategic, community led anti-dumping projects that remediate specific site(s) and develop effective deterrents.
