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Local Authority Staff

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 21 April 2021

Wednesday, 21 April 2021

Questions (261, 262, 263, 264, 265)

Sorca Clarke

Question:

261. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of litter wardens in each county in tabular form [19653/21]

View answer

Sorca Clarke

Question:

262. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the amount of waste collected due to illegal dumping each year by county in tabular form. [19654/21]

View answer

Sorca Clarke

Question:

263. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of public bins in each county in tabular form. [19655/21]

View answer

Sorca Clarke

Question:

264. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the amount taken in annually through fines for illegal dumping. [19656/21]

View answer

Sorca Clarke

Question:

265. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the type of materials that are predominantly being dumped illegally. [19657/21]

View answer

Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 261 to 265, inclusive, together.

The Litter Pollution Act and the Waste Management Act provide the statutory framework to combat littering and illegal dumping respectively. Under the Acts, the primary responsibility for litter, waste management and enforcement activity lies with the Local Authorities and the Office of Environmental Enforcement within the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

It is a matter for each Local Authority to determine the most appropriate course of action to tackle litter pollution and illegal dumping locally within the legislation provided. This includes determining the most appropriate staffing, public awareness, enforcement, infrastructure provision and clean-up arrangements in relation to litter and waste, taking account of local circumstances and priorities.

The EPA compiles comparative statistics on local authority performance relating to their litter and waste 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 www.lgma.ie. The Waste Enforcement Regional Lead Authorities (WERLAs) Annual Report available at www.werla.ie also contains useful data regarding actions taken to combat illegal dumping by the local authority sector under the Waste Management Act.

My Department does not collate statistics on litter staffing levels, litter infrastructure provision, revenues raised through waste enforcement efforts or the amounts and types of waste illegally dumped. Questions regarding such matters can be directed towards those specific authorities.  

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