Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 19 May 2016
109. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he has put preventative measures in place to prevent an increase in dumping given the implementation of the pay-by-weight household collection charge; if he is offering support to local authorities, community groups and so on who have to tackle this issue on a daily basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10988/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere is no indication from areas where pay-by-weight charging has already been implemented that there has been increased evidence of dumping. In addition, a comprehensive pay-by- weight awareness campaign is currently being rolled out, which includes practical advice for householders on reducing and segregating their waste and thereby minimising their costs.
Notwithstanding the above, and while enforcement action against illegal waste activity, including dumping, is a matter for the local authorities or the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as appropriate, my Department has introduced a number of measures to strengthen our efforts to combat illegal waste activity generally.
Waste Enforcement Regional Lead Authorities (WERLAs) have been established in each of the three existing waste regions with responsibility for coordinating waste enforcement actions and ensuring consistent enforcement of waste legislation while still leaving local authority personnel as first responders on the ground to specific breaches of waste legislation. This will facilitate a transformation from process driven enforcement, structured around separate implementation of individual regulations, to one that focuses greatest effort on the waste problems and issues that matter most and to take swift, proportionate and effective action. The work of the WERLAs is being supported by continued funding provided by my Department for the local authority waste enforcement network.
Some €8.2 million is being provided in 2016 for the retention by local authorities of 155 specialised waste enforcement officers, critical to tackling issues such as illegal dumping in local communities and in providing an enhanced response on the ground to infractions of the waste code.
It should also be noted that, under the new pay-by-weight regulatory regime, local authorities will be establishing a register which records the details of households which are using the services of an authorised waste operator (whether a kerbside collector, pay to use compactor or civic amenity facility). In gathering these details from service providers, local authorities may use this information to target households which appear not to be managing their waste correctly or using the services of an authorised operator and these data will support a number of awareness, education and enforcement programmes already initiated by individual local authorities.
Furthermore, fixed penalty notices (or on-the-spot fines) can also be issued from 1 July 2016 in respect of non-compliant waste collectors or service providers for breaches of their waste collection permit conditions.
