Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 9 December 2020
38. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the steps he will take to address the robbery of catalytic converters from hybrid cars using his powers over waste regulation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42390/20]
View answerIssues concerning the theft and handling of stolen property are matters for the Minister for Justice. Under the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001, maximum sentences of 10 years are provided for the offences of theft and handling of stolen property and 5 years for the possession of stolen property.While regulation of the scrap metal industry, including second hand car parts, is not a matter within the remit of my Department, the regulation of waste activities is, of course, relevant to the industry. In order to improve traceability of waste received and to counter the trade in stolen metal, an amendment to the Waste Management (Facility Permit and Registration) Regulations was introduced in 2014 to require the following at all permitted facilities receiving/purchasing waste: the production of proof of identity and current address for the person supplying the material, records to be kept of the registration number and waste collection permit number of the delivery vehicle, records to be kept describing the materials, time and date of sale, weight and amount paid, and the provision of a signed statement by the person supplying the material indicating that they are the lawful owner.Local authorities continue to undertake inspections to ensure compliance with these regulations and these inspections were included in the National Waste Enforcement Priorities for 2020. In addition, officials from my Department continue to participate in the National Metal Theft Forum, which was established in 2012 by An Garda Síochána, to bring together State stakeholders, including local authorities and the Department of Justice, and industry representatives in order to improve information sharing and to develop a metal theft prevention and crime reduction plan.
