Litter Pollution

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 21 April 2021

Wednesday, 21 April 2021

Questions (239, 240, 241, 242)

Mairéad Farrell

Question:

239. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of litter fines issued; the number of litter fines paid in numerical and percentage terms; the number of fines still to be paid in numerical and percentage terms; the revenues collected and revenues outstanding from same for each of the years 2018 to 2020 and to date in 2021, by local authority area in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18925/21]

Mairéad Farrell

Question:

240. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of prosecutions for littering offences taken against persons, companies and or other legal entities in each of the years 2018 to 2020 and to date in 2021; the number of successful prosecutions; the number of unsuccessful prosecutions; the number of proceedings still to be determined with respect to same by local authority area in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18926/21]

Mairéad Farrell

Question:

241. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the amount spent on legal fees by each local authority for the purpose of pursuing unpaid fines relating to littering offences in each of the years 2018, 2019, 2020 and to date in 2021, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18927/21]

Mairéad Farrell

Question:

242. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the sum of awards allocated to local authorities by the courts owing to successful prosecutions for littering offences in each of the years 2018, 2019, 2020 and to date in 2021, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18928/21]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications

I propose to take Questions Nos. 239, to 242, inclusive, together.

Enforcement actions against illegal waste and littering activity are a matter for local authorities and the Office of Environmental Enforcement within the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The EPA compiles comparative statistics on local authority performance relating to their waste and litter enforcement activity under the Recommended Criteria for Environmental Inspection (RMCEI) process. Their "Focus on Local Authority Environmental Enforcement - Activity Report 2019" was published in March of this year and is available on their website.

Information is also available through the Local Government Management Agency's series of service indicators annual reports which are available at lgma.ie. The Waste Enforcement Regional Lead Authorities (WERLAs) Annual Report for 2019, available at werla.ie, also contains useful data regarding actions taken by the wider local authority sector under the Waste Management Act.

My Department encourages a multifaceted approach to tackling the problem, incorporating enforcement, public awareness and education and provides significant funding to support the activities of both the Waste Enforcement Regional Lead Authorities (WERLAs) and the national network of local authority waste enforcement officers. 

Questions in relation to the full annual costs of litter fines imposed, prosecutions taken, court awards and legal fees incurred by individual local authorities relating to their litter enforcement activities can be directed towards those specific authorities.