Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 July 2004
338 Mr. B. Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the specific financial provision made to local authorities in the Border region for environmental protection due to illegal oil laundering; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21216/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn 2003, I provided funding of €168,357 and €469,930 to Monaghan and Louth county councils on a once-off exceptional basis in recognition of the particular difficulties which arose for those authorities in responding to instances of illegal dumping of oil-laundering residues, particularly in relation to costs incurred by them in arranging for the safe disposal abroad of the hazardous materials involved.
The real solution to this problem, however, is the effective, co-ordinated enforcement of the law, both from a customs and waste management perspective. To that end, a meeting has recently taken place, at my request and that of my Northern Ireland colleague of all of the relevant enforcement authorities from both sides of the Border, including the Garda Síochána and the PSNI. The purpose of this meeting was to consider how efforts should best be co-ordinated so as to ensure the effective enforcement of the waste regulatory code. The recently established Office of Environmental Enforcement will be co-ordinating developments in relation to this joint initiative.
