Vol. 541 No. 2
672 Mr. Stagg asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he has received an application for funding from Kildare County Council for waste management with specific reference to employing an additional 30 persons to remove litter from all public places in the county, and the provision of machinery; and if he will indicate the status of same. [21043/01]
Under the Litter Pollution Act, 1997, primary responsibility for tackling litter pollution rests with local authorities. It is a matter for each local authority to determine the level of expenditure on individual local services as part of its annual estimates process. Such expenditure is funded from a variety of sources such as rates, fees, charges and the social government fund, which in recent years has increased substantially the level of resources available to local authorities for general purposes, including for anti-
litter action.
My Department also provides dedicated financial assistance to support local authority action against litter. The relevant Exchequer provision for 2001 is £950,000, an increase of 19% on the 2000 figure; this funding is used for a range of specific initiatives, including grants to local authorities in respect of litter education/awareness.
My Department has no record of having received an application as referred to by the Deputy.
