I propose to take Questions Nos. 139 and 141 together.
Under the Litter Pollution Acts 1997 to 2003, primary responsibility for developing and implementing responses to litter lies with local authorities, who are required to take all practicable measures for the prevention, control and disposal of litter in their functional areas. The appointment of litter wardens is a matter for individual local authorities within each authority's current authorised staffing level and is one in which I have no function.
Statistics on local authority enforcement action on litter, including the numbers of litter wardens employed, are submitted by local authorities to my Department every six months; these figures are available in the Oireachtas Library. The litter enforcement statistics show that litter wardens are employed in each county council functional area.