Deputy Quill was in possession. The Deputy has some eight minutes remaining to her.
Private Members' Business. - Litter Pollution Bill, 1996: Second Stage (Resumed).
Question again proposed: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time."
When the debate adjourned I was speaking about Part II of the Bill, specifically sections 3 and 10. Section 3 states: "No person shall place household waste into or near a litter receptacle". That is a good provision. This seems to happen in areas where there is an intensification of flats development, in houses with multiple occupancies and in areas where proper provision is not made for the storage of domestic refuse. In such areas tenants tend to put their domestic refuse in a plastic bag which they then put into a litter bin on the side of the street. That happens constantly in my city and I suspect in other cities also. This problem must be tackled under this new legislation.
I will be seeking to amend section 10 to put an obligation on the owners of houses that are divided into flats with multiple occupancies to make proper provision for the storage of domestic refuse within or at the rear of the building so that refuse can be kept there until it is presented in a proper fashion for collection by the municipal collection services. That must be done if these two provisions in the Bill are to have any effect.
On section 3, there is not an adequate number of litter bins in any of our cities, and that is confirmed by the litter survey. We need to have more litter bins which must be strategically placed and properly managed and maintained. That is vitally important if we are to get litter off our streets.
In respect of section 10 and the duties of landlords vis-á-vis those of tenants, the Bill, as currently drafted, puts the obligation on the landlord to ensure that the requirements of the Bill are met. That is not the correct way to approach the problem I have outlined. There must be joint responsibility between the landlord and the tenant. There must be an obligation on the landlord to provide proper facilities for houses with multiple occupancy and if it can be demonstrated that the landlord failed to provide such facilities the penalty must then be on the landlord. If the landlord makes proper provision, however, the obligation will have to be put on the tenant to comply with the requirements of the Bill. I am talking about joint responsibility between landlord and tenant and I will attempt to be more specific about that on Committee Stage when I hope to table an amendment. This is an important issue because there is a great deal of litter in areas where there is a large number of flats. I know that because I live in such an area.
I referred earlier to plastic bags and cans and the fact that we will have to get co-operation from the commercial sector. I spoke to somebody a short while ago who told me she was in Italy during the summer. In Italy people pay the equivalent of 50p for a plastic bag in which to take home their shopping. That is a good way of dealing with the problem. If people had to pay 50p for a plastic bag they would do what our grandmothers did when they went shopping, namely, bring their own bags with them. In the past, the shopping bag was a permanent item hanging on the hall stand and people would take it with them when they went shopping.
That idea might not be practical, however, when one considers the volume of groceries now being bought from supermarkets, but we must use some monetary mechanism to reduce significantly the number of plastic bags that issue from our supermarkets. Plastic bags are major pollutants. They remain in the soil for years, clogging up our water courses and distorting the flow of our rivers and streams. They remain in sanitary landfills for years because they are not biodegradable. They are a major element in pollution and in the accumulation of waste and we must think of ways to reduce the use of plastic bags. I will table an amendment in that regard on Committee Stage.
My party will be seeking to amend a number of other areas on Committee Stage. We have the bones of a good, but not a great, Bill. I hope by the time it has gone through Committee Stage we will all put forward our best ideas to make this Bill succeed where its antecedent, the 1982 Bill, failed. Litter is a serious problem and there is an obligation on us to work on an all-party basis to put in place the best procedures and resources to ensure that the legislation is enforced and fully implemented.
I am pleased to have this opportunity to contribute to the debate on this Bill. Obviously I would prefer if it were not necessary to introduce legislation in this area but, given the attitude of some members of the public, the legislation was inevitable. The Bill is to be welcomed and I compliment the Minister on its introduction. If those of us in the public arena play our part it will bring about an improvement in the litter problem that currently exists.
The central purpose of the Bill is to enable more effective arrangements to be made for the prevention and control of litter so as to achieve a cleaner outdoor environment. In the past, much lip service was paid to Ireland's green image. The National Development Plan emphasised the opportunity for competitive advantage offered by Ireland's green reputation in the promotion, in particular, of agriculture, food and tourism. A sound environment is the country's natural resource base but it must be sustainable. The anti national and greedy attitude of a very small number of people has put our agricultural base and green food image at risk in recent times. I hope this small group can be identified and their activities stopped.
We are collectively putting the potential growth and job creation possibilities of our tourism industry at risk by our attitude to litter. If one goes to countries such as Switzerland and Austria, for example, one sees the marked differences between this State and their towns, cities and countryside and their attitude to litter. People there have pride in their country, which is something we must build in this country; we must have pride in our gardens, roads, beaches, parks, cities and towns. I hope this Bill will awaken people's sense of patriotism and community spirit, for which we were renowned in the past when the chips were down.
One of the provisions of the Bill is to require all local authorities to prepare a litter management plan. The Bill also proposes that the preparation of these plans will require local consultation and their adoption will be a reserved function of elected councillors. I greatly welcome this aspect of the Bill, particularly as local elected members rightly complain of the undue centralisation of our local government system. If this Bill is to succeed it is imperative that the elected members accept their responsibility, in co-operation with the officials, as outlined in the Bill.
In discussing this Bill, we must start by acknowledging that a major litter problem exists here which, if not adequately dealt with, will have knock-on implications, particularly in regard to job creation in the tourism industry. We have already been told that over two thirds of tourists visiting Ireland feel that action needs to be taken to tackle the problem of litter. In any plan we must be able to first, identify the nature and extent of the litter problem; second, assess the shortcomings in any existing prevention and control system in operation; third, define our requirements for cleanliness in public places; and fourth, define what needs to be done to achieve these standards and monitor them on an ongoing basis.
Throughout the country there is a major problem with the discarding of wrappers and plastic bags, which have recently become synonymous with most supermarkets. This problem is more acute in built up areas, particularly near fast food outlets, take-aways, bus stops, schools, shops and commercial enterprises. There is also a problem with fly tipping in ditches and drains, particularly in rural areas. Sometimes this occurs on the way to domestic tip heads, which is hard to believe.
Old motor vehicles comprise another form of litter. In the past this was predominantly a rural problem. However, in recent years it has also become a major problem in urban areas, arising from joyriding and the subsequent burning of cars. In this regard there should be an obligation on local authorities to remove these vehicles from the landscape as quickly as possible.
As a member of the public I am utterly appalled at the litter problems associated with refuse collection. The presentation of domestic refuse left out for collection is totally inadequate in many cases. There is a need for greater consultation between the local authorities and residents. I know that in many cases, although not all, it is necessary for some residents to leave their refuse out overnight. However, the net effect of this is that refuse bags are ravaged by dogs and other animals and the rubbish is strewn over paths and roads by the time the refuse collection takes place the following morning. There is a need for consultation between the local authorities and those who find themselves in this position.
The Bill gives specific power to local authorities. I am very angry that different departments within some local authorities do not co-ordinate their actions. For example, the roads and paths in some housing estates are cleaned by a mechanical sweeper the day before the refuse collection takes place. Is that not utterly appalling? It is common sense that such activity should be co-ordinated and I hope the action plans referred to in the Bill will address this matter.
There is a need for the Minister to address the type of covering required for trucks and commercial vehicles. It is totally unacceptable that such vehicles are allowed to travel through our cities, towns and villages with makeshift covering. Apart from being a danger to members of the public using the roads, it is also a health hazard. It is appalling to see refuse falling from the side of vehicles being driven to tip heads.
This Bill will give the Garda Síochána the power to act against environmentally unfriendly business people. Residing in a seaside resort, I am appalled at the amount of litter that is left behind on beaches during the summer months notwithstanding that bins are available and cleaned on a regular basis. I wish to compliment the management and staff of my local authority, Fingal County Council, on providing litter bins and on the regular daily beach cleaning carried out during the summer. It is no coincidence that a number of seaside towns have won blue flag awards. It is hoped that many more will do so in the coming years.
In the context of this Bill I congratulate the Tidy Towns committees on the fantastic work they are doing throughout the country. Since it was established nearly 40 years ago, the Tidy Towns competition has become a huge success. It now attracts nearly 700 entries from villages and towns. The competition has given the initiative to local community activists to become involved in improving the appearance and tidiness of their towns and villages. A community spirit has been built up, and I compliment all concerned. I also wish to compliment the various local authorities who have set up their own tidy district awards within their jurisdictions. These awards encourage people to be involved in a small way in the estates where they reside and bring up their children. Often those who go on to do well in national awards began in this very small way. The Fingal tidy district awards are presented in several categories — large, small and medium estates, factory fronts, thatched cottages, school grounds etc. — and the competition is healthy in all categories. We want to further build on this type of healthy competition which is necessary. The army of volunteers, although generally small in number, bring about improvements annually. Derelict areas are turned into areas of beauty. It is my belief that the Tidy Towns awards and the Tidy Districts competitions should put more emphasis on the absence of litter in assessing results. We are most fortunate that volunteers are prepared to go out in all weathers to keep their streets, estates, villages and towns not only tidy but renewed and interesting.
In my constituency the towns of Malahide, Lusk and Skerries are synonymous with tidiness. I am particularly proud of the results achieved by Swords this year which has special difficulties because of the high rate of residential development in the town. With the growing public awareness of the awards won by these towns and other towns throughout the country in recent years, visitors and local residents are conscious of the lack of litter, and they will bin their litter rather than throw it on the street or beach. That is the spirit we must build up. Notwithstanding this, people wreak havoc on the efforts of the volunteer force on Saturday or Sunday nights. If you walk through many towns on a Sunday or Monday morning you will see a disgusting heap of rubbish outside fast food and take-away restaurants. It is no secret where this rubbish comes from. The businesses are there for all to see. Under the Bill not only litter wardens but the Garda Síochána will have power to take action in this regard. I hope that will be enforced. I would be pleased if this Bill did nothing else but make the owners of these premises liable for some of the costs of cleaning the streets, and I hope the increased penalties will be applied.
It is necessary to have an ongoing public awareness campaign promoting education on litter prevention and greater public participation in the control of litter. Schools, both first and second level, should be targeted in highlighting the litter problem and the assistance of school children sought to promote an anti-litter culture in the home and in public. We should also involve businesses and the community. The local authority would be the appropriate body to set this up.
I have been impressed by the sponsorship of litter bins by businesses in villages and towns throughout the country and hope this can be developed in the future. The Estate Management Bill, which the Minister will be introducing, will have a major input in local estates. We must all work together to ensure that a litter free green environment image is built up. We must work to change our attitude because in doing so we can create jobs and provide a better environment for our people and future generations.
I wish to share my time with Deputy Ned O'Keeffe.
While successive Governments have endeavoured to tackle the problem of litter through legislation over the past number of years, we still have a long way to go before we can honestly say we have overcome this problem. Some would suggest that the situation in our country is a national scandal which affects tourists and tourism and also gives us a bad name abroad. For this to change, there must be a radical turnabout in the public's attitude to litter. It would be consoling to think that the litter problem we are experiencing is the work of a minority, but the reality is different. There seems to be a widespread indifference to the problem of litter. It would be easy, and wrong, to say that the problem is created by the young. Any fair-minded individual knows that many adults are also to blame in this respect.
While the Bill before us repeals the Litter Act, 1982, which in itself was seen at the time as revolutionary, I welcome the fact that it will strengthen sections of the current Act. To say that the previous Act was unenforceable or that there was no commitment by local authorities or statutory bodies would be correct. The law needed strengthening. The enactment of stronger legislation cannot come quickly enough. A radical approach will have to be adopted by Government to improve the litter problem and ensure a cleaner and more enjoyable environment for everybody. I ask the Minister of State to consider the positive and worthwhile amendments which we may put forward on Committee Stage to improve the effectiveness of the Bill.
There has been a noticeable improvement in some areas of littering over the years. Following the enactment of the 1982 Bill, the problem of disused and abandoned cars and vehicles, which were a common sight throughout the country, was tackled. However, there are areas where the problem of littering has not improved but worsened and this will not change unless firm action is taken.
The litter problem is especially bad in urban areas, and the bigger the area the worse the problem. It is greatest where people congregate for entertainment and recreational purposes, whether they be scenic areas, picnic areas or beaches — littering of drinks canisters, consumer debris, plastic bags, tins and glass.
Roadside dumping of rubbish in suburban areas, on the outskirts of towns and in parts of the countryside is now a major problem which we must do our best to solve and any legislation which improves the ability of authorities to take corrective action is to be welcomed. The entire community suffers when our environment is degraded. More people are inclined to litter when they see that there is little, if any, action.
One of the commonest complaints by foreigners and tourists is the extent of the litter problem. This must be tackled at local level and local authorities should be the principal agents for addressing it. I am pleased that the Bill provides a major role for them. They have been given insufficient resources to implement current legislation.
Parents, teachers and schools have an important role to play in educating and encouraging our young to be litter conscious. Far more children are aware of the environmental impact than their parents. However, the problem will not be overcome solely by legislation or by giving local authorities increased powers; it will only be overcome when people decide that they prefer a clean environment. In this regard, the influence of parents, schools and community organisations in pursuing their own initiatives and in supporting and complementing the efforts of statutory bodies is of great importance. While advertising campaigns, on radio and television and in the national print media, have focused minds on the problem, greater effort is required to ensure that it becomes socially unacceptable to litter public places.
There is a case to be made to encourage waste recycling, although it is a complex, costly and uncertain business. However, this is not a local authority function. Indeed, because of the constraints under which they must work, local authorities cannot be expected to commit public funds to costly recovery schemes of doubtful viability. The Department of the Environment should make grants and assistance available to those involved in the recycling business in the private sector.
It is encouraging to note the number of bottle and paper banks that have been made available by local authorities on their sites. This is a move in the right direction. The value of scrap metal has ensured that it is now the exception rather than the rule to see abandoned vehicles on roadsides. Commercial realities dictate that they be recycled.
It takes little effort for individuals to avoid littering by putting their rubbish in a bin taking it home or to a dump. Once litter is discarded the cost to local authorities of collection and disposal is substantial. They have a duty to take measures to prevent, reduce and remove litter, but because of the numerous demands on their resources it is not possible for them to implement existing legislation in this area.
It is incumbent on business and property owners to keep the public area surrounding their properties litter free and I am glad to see that they will be held responsible for this under the Bill. How many times have we travelled through towns and seen the disgraceful sight of sections of streets littered with paper, plastic cups and cartons from nearby take-away premises? How many times have we seen the areas around mobile food outlets at sporting grounds and musical events littered because of the failure to provide suitable bins and refuse sacks? It is reasonable to expect that those engaged in this type of business should be responsible for keeping the footpaths and their immediate environs free of litter. Under existing legislation, local authorities have the power to make by-laws requiring occupiers, or specified classes of occupiers, or those in specified areas, to keep their immediate environs as litter free as possible. The proposed measures in this Bill will enhance the provisions of the 1982 legislation.
The provision for erecting "no litter" signs is ineffective. I also question the effectiveness of the on the spot system of fines for littering offences. The prosecution of litter offenders through the courts is costly and time consuming for local authorities. However, if given adequate publicity they would deter and focus the minds of those prone to litter.
There is a general responsibility on occupiers to keep the areas around their premises litter free. When this Bill is enacted, the relevant authorities must ensure that local authorities are aware of their responsibilities to the public. They will be obliged, as far as practicable, to keep public roads free of litter. I pass a lay-by three times a week on the main Dublin-Cork road in the local authority area of Kildare. There appears to be no effort to provide for litter bins or other means of litter disposal for the motorists, and especially truckers, who use it. I have indicated my disgust to the local authority.
I welcome the Bill. I ask that the Committee Stage amendments which we will introduce to strengthen it be accepted.
I welcome the initiative by my party spokesperson which was so important in bringing this Bill to fruition. My party's deputy spokesperson, Deputy Eoin Ryan, has listened to all contributions in the House. In this regard I am annoyed that the Minister for the Environment did not see fit to introduce this legislation, but rather handed it over to the Minister of State.
A safe pair of hands.
I sympathise with the Minister of State for having to introduce this important legislation. Were it not for a man from my constituency, Tom Kavanagh of Fermoy, who thought up the initiative and brought Irish business people and the major industrialists in the food area together, this legislation would not have seen the light of day. This legislation is very important. If we do not have clean towns and villages we will not have clean food. That was the reason he laid the foundation and put his money where his mouth is in calling the meeting and taking the initiative. That is something that cannot be forgotten. The Minister would do well to refer to him in the closing Stages of the debate.
The Litter Act, 1982, is now being repealed because its provisions were not implemented. According to press reports Dublin Corporation employs three litter wardens. Assuming they work only from Monday to Friday and avoid what one might call "good litter days"— Saturday shopping and Sunday sporting features — they could work 240 days each year. Assuming that 40 of these days are spent in court giving evidence, that would leave 200 days to carry out the fulltime duties of a litter warden. I am sure it would not be difficult to find somebody in breach of the 1982 Litter Act before lunch and another person or body after lunch, making a total of 400 cases a year but the reported rate was only one per week. Clearly it would be wrong to apportion blame to the litter wardens. Those who employ them and who are responsible should explain the lack of activity and results in this area. The 1982 Act might not be perfect but there were fines — perhaps they were too low — and opportunities to avail of the legislative powers.
I am concerned that legislation coming before the House would appear to suggest that something is happening when much of the legislation it updates or replaces has not been implemented. On the basis that the Minister for the Environment will apply his talents and energies to ensuring that the powers he is now requesting will be vigorously implemented, I welcome and support the legislation. This Bill is undoubtedly a better model than its predecessor but I hope it is implemented with the same drive that was shown by the Minister's county championship team.
I remember walking to school with class mates whose families were experiencing financial difficulties. Although they could not afford new clothes and footwear they were always clean and tidy, thanks to their hard working mothers and their family pride. Since we have become more affluent we have lost some of that pride. The Tidy Towns Competition run by Bórd Fáilte has done a tremendous amount of good. Nonetheless many of our towns and villages fail in terms of tidiness by comparision with towns and villages less than one hour's flying time from here. Why? We are more intelligent and imaginative and we describe ourselves as a proud race. We sell ourselves abroad as being a clean and idyllic land backed by photographs of traffic free roads and litter free beaches. It is time we lived up to our advertising. In our debate today on the Supplementary Estimate for Tourism and Trade, the Minister, Deputy Kenny, gave a resumé of the country's future requirements.
It does not cost anything to be clean. While litter is a problem, there are other areas which must be tackled. Food hygiene and sanitary facilities also require attention. Pollution in its various forms is worse than litter. When she was in office Deputy Harney showed what could be done by dedication, initiative and hard work in cleaning up Dublin's smog.
Is that a sign of marriage?
No interruption, please.
I do not know anything about a marriage. If anything I said is incorrect the Deputy has a right to reply and I have no doubt he has the capacity to do that. When I was a member of the farming organisations the Deputy always reminded me of where my allegiance lay.
The Litter Pollution Bill could be enforced much more effectively if it was part of a concerted national campaign to restore cleanliness to and pride in our land. To that end I suggest a unit comprising elements of the Department, the Department of Health, the various health boards and local authorities be set up and co-ordinated by the Department of the Environment.
For example, if somebody was taking an action about litter outside a premises it would be no harm if that person inspected the lavatories and kitchen at the same time. When visiting our lovely bars dotted around the country — admiring the character and quaintness of these premises — many tourists are appalled on discovering that the lavatories on the premises have a character and quaintness that ensure they would not wish to return.
This legislation put a huge onus on county councils. As a member of Cork County Council I welcome the increased powers being granted to local authorities. Cork County Council will not shirk the extra burden and responsibility. It is wrong and unfair to impose burdens on local authorities without providing adequate financing. This is a key to the success of the Bill. Outside Dublin local authorities are collecting service charges as an important source of revenue. Current rumours, rightly or wrongly, attributed to the Taoiseach, about the abolition of the service charges do nothing to help the collection of this source of revenue.
My colleagues will be proposing amendments to the legislation. When the Minister is given these powers, I hope he will avail of them. I wish him well.
On the Estimate debate on tourism I was impressed by the Minister, Deputy Kenny, who spoke about his visit to Singapore and said that the offence of graffiti on the walls and littering carries three year sentence.
I welcome the Bill and assure Deputy O'Keeffe that the Minister of State, Deputy McManus, is capable of dealing with the Bill. She showed an understanding of urban renewal issues and the need for tidy towns when she visited my constituency of Monaghan some time ago. I am satisfied she can cope with any questions the Deputy or his colleagues may wish to raise.
As emphasised in the Minister's speech there is a need for partnership between business, local authorities and voluntary groups. As an island we pride ourselves on the green image we project abroad. We use our green image to sell our farm products: 80 per cent of all our milk and beef has to be sold in European or third countries. It is extremely important that we live and work in a tidy environment.
The litter problem is of particular relevance to the tourism industry. At a committee meeting today the Minister for Tourism and Trade referred to the importance of the tourism industry. It is our second largest industry and it may become the largest. The problem of litter outside late night restaurants and take-aways must be dealt with immediately. In this respect, the owners of these premises must be subject to much more scrutiny. It is very difficult for local authorities to collect the rubbish outside these premises late at night. The owners of these premises earn a significant income and they must play a more active role in collecting this litter. The provision of bottle banks, etc., is very important but there is a need for more litter bins.
The farm relief service proposes to establish structures for the collection of the black plastic used to cover silage bales and plastic fertiliser bags. This plastic causes serious litter problems and takes from the beauty of the countryside. Shabra Plastics in Castleblayney produces high quality bags for many shopping centres. Previously this product was imported. I thank the Minister for the Environment, Deputy Howlin, for putting in place a grant system under which a sum of £73,000 was allocated to Shabra Plastics for the installation of new machinery for the processing of this very important by-product.
Poultry and mushroom production in County Monaghan accounts for two-thirds of the national figure and there is huge potential for further development in these sectors. The Minister for the Environment and his colleagues must avail of the opportunity to deal with the litter problem which, in turn, creates serious pollution problems. Grant aid must be provided for the setting up of a power station which uses litter to produce power. There are two such power stations in England and they can supply electricity to approximately 15,000 households. The Departments of the Environment and Tourism and Trade have an important role to play in setting up such a power station here, thereby showing our commitment to resolving the litter and pollution problems.
Reference was made to the Tidy Towns Competition. Carrickmacross is an example of what can be achieved by an active committee. It is no longer a mediocre town but is one of the better places in which to live. The Tidy Towns development groups. FÁS and the local authorities have made tremendous progress in improving towns and villages.
The Bill will ensure a cleaner and better environment at a low cost and provide benefits for the public. It will also benefit the tourism and agriculture industries in that we will be able to promote our clean, green environment and high quality food products. When the BSE scare is over, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry, Deputy Yates, should allocate funding for the promotion of the agricultural industry to ensure the highest quality food continues to be produced.
I congratulate the Minister on introducing this Bill. She is more than capable of dealing with all the problems to which Deputy O'Keeffe referred.
I congratulate the Minister, who has a personal interest in this matter, on introducing the Bill. While the Bill will do nothing but good, there is no point enacting it without strong, workable enforcement measures. If the law is not enforced it will be brought into disrepute and it is essential to put in place strong enforcement structures which are followed up from the start and which allow no exceptions.
I am not convinced that the Bill will be different from the existing law in terms of enforcement. The fine of £25 should have been increased. We cannot rely on the Garda to enforce the legislation. Legally we should not see noxious weeds, yet during the spring and summer we see fields of weeds, particularly the yellow buachallán, in all areas. Gardaí are trained to prevent crime, not to act as litter wardens. Extra burdens are being placed on gardaí. For example, calls have been made for them to be put back on the streets so that they will know what is happening while, at the same time, they have to deal with the drugs problem and protect the elderly. They will not be able to play a meaningful role in the enforcement of the litter law.
The only way this legislation can operate effectively is to impose stiff fines, even stiffer than those proposed by the Minister, and enforce them from the outset. The softly, softly approach, education and awareness and appeals for good citizenship have been tried but to no avail. We must make it unprofitable for the polluter and profitable for local authorities, who are much more vigilant in imposing parking fines since it became possible for them to make money from it. The same could apply in respect of litter fines. We must also ensure that litter wardens or gardaí do not get entangled in the courts system when trying to enforce fines.
The concept of tidiness should be ingrained in people's minds. I pay tribute to the Minister of State for the initiatives she has adopted in respect of our villages. When villages are enhanced the local community is less likely to litter.
On a recent visit to Chicago the Cook County police explained how they operate a system where people found guilty of a crime are given the option of doing community work and cleaning up areas instead of going to prison. They must also pay £10 per day to cover the capital cost involved in the scheme. As a result large sections of the city are being cleaned up at no cost to the city and the people who would be in prison are satisfied with their part of the deal. That scheme is working successfully in Chicago.
We should also pay tribute to the work done through the Tidy Towns Competition, the original means of ingraining an element of tidiness into the minds of our citizens. I hope the Minister and Bord Fáilte make every effort to ensure that scheme does not lose its impetus.
I come from Sligo, which I am sure most people would agree is one of our greatest beauty spots. However, we are no better or worse than our counterparts in other counties when it comes to litter. There appears to be a greater appreciation of the value of tidiness north of the Border. Irrespective of whether this is the product of education, major incentives or the mentality of the people there, areas north of the Border are tidier than in the south.
One of the favourite places for abandoning old cars is the bogs in the west, our new areas of natural heritage and conservation. We should appoint a task force with responsibility for removing such cars and introduce laws to prevent that type of dumping.
I sound a note of warning to the Minister about the provisions in section 6 which deal with the duties of occupiers, etc., regarding litter. This will lead to major difficulties. How will people living next door to take-away restaurants react when they come out in the morning and find the footpaths outside their premises covered with litter? This provision will cause major difficulties between neighbours unless it is carefully worded. A large proportion of litter originates in take-away restaurants and people living next door to such premises will not take kindly to being asked to clean up their litter.
Tourism will soon be our greatest industry and local communities are making great efforts to attract more tourists to their areas and keeping our areas free from litter might be more valuable than any other endeavour. I welcome the imaginative initiatives adopted by the Minister of State in respect of our towns and villages, but it is disastrous to see them ruined by litter louts. Many of us are responsible for littering because of a lack of awareness about the concept of tidiness.
I applaud the Minister's work and wish her well. This legislation will be a major advance, provided it is rigorously enforced from the outset; otherwise it will be a useless new law.
Deputy Nealon referred to the tidiness and cleanliness that is apparent when one crosses the Border. The house reconstruction grant scheme means there are very few derelict houses in the North. Substantial grants are available for the repair of houses there. I appeal to the Minister of State to give serious consideration to reintroducing the house improvements grants scheme here. We are all aware of houses that lack basic comforts and sanitary facilities and are in need of reconstruction.
Deputy Nealon and myself frequently use the N16 which takes people from the west to County Fermanagh. I accept this does not relate to the legislation before us, but as it comes within the Minister of State's brief, I appeal to her, as other Deputies have done, to provide funding to upgrade that road which has seen a huge increase in the volume of traffic since 1 September 1994. I am sure the Minister of State is familiar with that terrain and I hope her Department will give the matter favourable consideration. Deputy Nealon and other Oireachtas Members representing Cavan-Monaghan and Sligo-Leitrim would like funding provided to facilitate the huge volume of traffic between the North and the South.
Even if the Bill is defective, I welcome it as a measure to highlight the litter problem throughout the country. All its aspirations are commendable. Other speakers stated it is necessary to create a greater awareness of the problem. Proper enforcement procedures and the allocation of necessary resources to local authorities are also required. It is essential that there should be a greater awareness of the problems associated with litter. The litter problem can be tackled effectively with little additional expenditure. Legislation alone will not slove it, it will help, but public awareness of the large-scale damage caused by litter is essential. We must create the proper civic spirit to overcome the small local obstacles. Small problems associated with dumping at local level amount to a large problem nationally. I do not support the idea that every country's environment except ours is pristine clean. I have not been fortunate enough to travel the world, but I have travelled throughout Europe and I have seen litter on the streets and main thoroughfares of plenty of cities and towns, of which no one could be proud.
The fact that we need additional legislation to tackle the litter problem demonstrates clearly the inadequacy of our civic pride. Litter and dumping are damaging to many facets of our economic and social life. As Deputies Ó Cúiv and Crawford stated, our food and tourism sectors come to mind when one considers the litter problem. Too often we hear complaints about litter in rural and urban Ireland made by concerned citizens on radio programmes. The issue is frequently mentioned by visitors from abroad and by people who visit other parts of the country. The problem is not confined to urban areas. All too often pockets of dumping are found in many isolated rural areas. The dumping of vehicles and major items of refuse in country lanes, boglands and lowlands is an increasing phenomenon. Enforcement of the legislation must be effective. Local authorities must be given the necessary regulations and resources to deal with the issue. I was surprised to learn that £25 million each year is spent cleaning up Ireland. One must question the value we are getting for that expenditure.
As Deputy Dempsey said, the results of a survey carried out by Irish Business Against Litter highlight the problems and costs caused by litter. Those findings speak for themselves. Two out of every three adults identify takeaways as the location where litter is most likely to be found. Only 10 per cent of adults believe litter laws are being enforced; only 5 per cent would resist tougher enforcement of litter laws; 80 per cent believe a litter free Ireland would be useful in attracting more foreign companies into this country; 70 per cent believe it would improve the image of our food industry and create more jobs at home and 78 per cent believe the laws should be enforced more strongly. Those statistics speak loudly about our litter problem.
For a number of years Cavan County Council ran an annual competition confined to primary schools to create awareness among the school-going population of the damage caused by litter and the success that could be achieved in local parishes through awareness of the problem and giving people an incentive to do something about it. Prizes were awarded annually for various projects including cleaning up the local graveyard, a local facility or the village generally.
The Departments of Education and Foreign Affairs run an essay competition confined to schools on the future development of Europe etc., and the school that wins gets a valuable prize, a visit to the European Parliament and Commission. It would be worthwhile for the Department to run a competition in association with the Department of Education. Schools could be allotted projects and worthwhile prizes could be given to the winners. It is essential that the civic pride necessary to keep our country in the state in which it should be kept is instilled in children in primary and secondary schools.
Tidy Towns committees have undertaken valuable work. In my county Ballyconnell, Ballyjamesduff and Virginia have won that competition twice. That success was due to the work of a small number of people in those towns who may have got up at 5 a.m. or 6 a.m. to clear litter and who tended to the flowers and plants. It created a great awareness among the local people of the usefulness and effectiveness of having a town in pristine condition. That competition put those small towns on the map. It is always a source of great pride to local people to have a plaque denoting that their town won a national award. Great credit is due to the work of Tidy Towns committees. The Department held a presentation night in my county recently for the north-eastern region winners. I could not attend because of other commitments, but the local people present were very impressed by the attitude of Department officials.
It has been rightly mentioned that plastic bags strewn around the country contribute to the litter problem. On a number of occasions during Question Time the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry was asked if a national cleanup could be organised, particularly of black refuse bags associated with silage fodder.
Community employment schemes have been crucial in providing people to carry out worthwhile community work, cleaning local public buildings, facilities, graveyards or tidying the streets of towns and villages. For many participants work on such schemes constituted their first job and it was the first time they received a cheque for doing a day's work. Too often participants who spent two years on them have had to be let go. I know it can be argued that others, who never had a chance to participate on them, are on the waiting list. Far too often a person who was the guiding light and took a great personal interest in a project has had to come off a scheme having completed two years on it. Schemes, such as community employment schemes, that are valuable to local communities should be flexible enough to cater for the person whose leadership role in such projects is necessary.
It was suggested to me recently that our inland waterways should also merit blue flag status. Some people with great commitment, an enormous amount of time and much of their own finance have undertaken trojan work endeavouring to combat the pollution of Lough Sheelin and many of our major inland waterways. Perhaps the Minister of State and her officials would consider granting inland waterways some recognition as they are vital to tourism in the midlands and north midlands region.
On Committee Stage I hope the Minister will favourably consider the amendments tabled by my party to strengthen the enforcement procedures of this Bill.
I welcome this Bill. I represent the beautiful western county of Sligo, where we are proud of the cleanliness and blue flag status of many of our beaches. However, much more can be done to eliminate litter on our beaches, roadsides, towns and villages.
Our schools' curricula, beginning at primary level, should educate our children about the damaging effects of litter and the need for its elimination in our beautiful countryside. I once observed children throwing litter out the windows of a school touring bus. If from the onset of their schooling our children are educated to respect their environment and beautiful countryside, they will be less inclined to destroy them with litter. Others have referred to fast food outlets, or take-aways, the site of much litter. A number of litter bins should be located outside such outlets as repositories for papers and other food containers.
Bord Fáilte contend that in its survey of many towns and villages in rural areas litter constitutes one of its greatest problems, especially in the context of the Tidy Towns competition, which invariably leads to the subtraction of many points from their merits.
Tourism will continue to be one of our largest revenue earners. In recent years I have observed many more tourists in County Sligo where the slogan is "Sligo is Surprising". Heretofore not as many people visited Sligo as, say, Galway, Mayo or the west generally, tending to travel through the county only en route to Donegal. We are indeed glad they are discovering our county, its beautiful beaches and lakes which reminds me of Yeats' beautiful poem: I will arise and go now and go to Inisfree and a small cabin build there... I should indeed like to see such beautiful parts of our county litter-free.
Deputy Brendan Smith referred to participants in the community employment scheme who have done tremendous work cleaning our towns and villages, demolishing and rebuilding derelict houses, building stone walls, making our many rural areas ever more beautiful. Under this scheme also many litter bins have been located at appropriate locations, another step in the right direction.
Remembering that tourism will continue to represent our greatest industry in future years, I have observed many European cities, some very clean, others not so clean. Once one crosses the Border from Sligo into counties Leitrim, Cavan or Fermanagh one immediately notices the difference, particularly between Blacklion and Cavan into Enniskillen which is abundantly cleaner. Local authorities must endeavour to make more funds available to keep our towns, villages and roadsides free of litter and, until such time as they do, we shall continue to encounter this problem.
I compliment the Minister on introducing this much sought Bill, on Committee Stage of which I hope provision will be made requiring local authorities to employ litter wardens in all urban and rural areas. I represent one of the most beautiful towns in the west, Westport, which this year won the county and province award in addition to County Mayo being awarded the greatest number of blue flag beaches. However, on RTE radio the evening of that announcement, most comment focused not so much on those towns and counties that had gained blue flag beach status as on those that had lost it. I was glad to note County Mayo had been awarded the highest number of blue flag beaches, which alone speaks for its immense beauty.
Within the time available to me, I intended to refer to fast food outlets or take-aways, the disturbance their clientele create at night and the enormous amount of litter distributed on the streets outside. We must control their opening hours and make them responsible for the litter outside their premises.
Debate adjourned.