Illegal Dumping

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 28 April 2021

Wednesday, 28 April 2021

Questions (167)

Joe Carey

Question:

167. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 10 of 14 January 2021 and 22 of 21 January 2021, if the working group established between the County and City Management Association and the Data Protection Commission on the use of CCTV cameras in the fight against illegal dumping has concluded its work; the findings and or recommendations of this group; his plans following this work to provide legislative underpinning for the use of CCTV equipment to support enforcement efforts in a manner which is both effective and GDPR compliant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21447/21]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications

The Working Group referred to by the Deputy was not solely established to examine the use of fixed location CCTV from a GDPR perspective, but rather to consider the use by local authority enforcement personnel of a broad range of Audio-Visual Recording (AVR) and surveillance technologies. This is including, but not limited to, the use of fixed position CCTV, mobile CCTV, overt vs covert CCTV, drones over public/private land, bodycams worn by waste enforcement personnel, dashcams in local authority vehicles, GPS tracking technologies, automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) technology and other surveillance technologies.

My Department plans to bring forward provisions, through the Waste Management (Circular Economy) Bill that will allow waste enforcement authorities to utilize all such new and emerging technologies in an effective manner, while fully respecting the privacy rights of all citizens, and is currently awaiting legal advice from the Office of the Attorney General (AGO).