I propose to take Questions Nos. 55 and 63 together.
I have not received any judgment from the Data Protection Commission (DPC) regarding the use of CCTV and illegal dumping. However, I have received correspondence from the DPC outlining their concerns around the legal basis for the use of CCTV cameras by local authorities in the enforcement of waste management legislation.
The Government's recently published “Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy”, contains a commitment to ensure that all waste enforcement legislation will be “data proofed”, so that all available and emerging technologies can be fully utilised for enforcement activities in a manner which is General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) compliant.
My Department is currently working on a Circular Economy Bill which will contain provisions to give effect to the commitment in the Waste Action Plan. This will help to ensure that AVR equipment can be utilized by local authorities to protect our environment from the scourge of illegal dumping, while at the same time respecting the privacy rights of citizens.