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.