Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 July 2022
99. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if his Department plans to oversee the removal of an illegal dump at a location (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40445/22]
View answerIndividual local authorities deal with cases of the illegal disposal of waste in their functional areas and it is matter for them to take the appropriate enforcement and clean up actions under the Waste Management Act. The National Waste Enforcement Steering Committee (NWESC), which is co-chaired by my Department and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has provided assistance to Dublin City Council (DCC) in relation to this site, in bringing together relevant NWESC member agencies such as An Garda Síochána (AGS), Revenue and the Department of Social Protection to assist DCC in their efforts.
The operation to date has resulted in the impounding of vehicles used for alleged unauthorised waste activities and the initiation of prosecutions. There are investigations underway by DCC, with the assistance of the AGS, into ongoing breaches of the Waste Management Act. Patrols, together with regular clean-up and maintenance operations by DCC are continuing.
The ultimate objective is to clean and secure the site as part of an overall and sustainable solution, which will include the development of the site and surrounding area by DCC. Specialist Environmental Consultants have been engaged by DCC to undertake Environmental Assessments in order to gauge the scale and types of waste involved and the subsequent means and level of clean-up that might be required. The clean-up of this site will be carried out in conjunction with the overall development of the area by DCC and my Department officials will receive further reports from DCC via the NWESC as this progresses. In the interim, DCC are actively engaged at a senior level with An Garda the AGS in ongoing efforts to eliminate illegal dumping in this area.
Tackling illegal dumping and other waste crime is a priority for my Department, which continues to provide substantial support to local authorities dealing with challenging waste enforcement cases.
