Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 April 2018
1195. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if each residential dwelling here has a refuse account and bin collection service; the number that do not have a service by county; the way in which compliance is monitored; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16608/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe latest figures produced by the CSO on how households manage their waste, including the percentage of households which use a collection service for general and recycling waste, are available to view at http://cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/er/q-env/qnhsenvironmentmoduleq22014/.
Each local authority is responsible for the supervision and the enforcement of the relevant provisions of the Waste Management Act 1996 in relation to the holding, recovery and disposal of waste within its functional area. Local authorities have specific powers under the Act to require measures to be taken, or to take measures directly, to prevent or limit environmental pollution caused or likely to be caused by the holding, recovery or disposal of waste, and to mitigate or remedy the effects on the environment of such activity.
My role, as Minister, is to provide the legislative and policy framework under which both local authority and Environmental Protection Agency enforcement action is initiated. Enforcement action against illegal waste activity is a matter for the local authorities and the Office of Environmental Enforcement of the EPA as appropriate.
Underpinning waste enforcement is state funding for waste enforcement officers. I have made €9 million available from the Environment Fund this year to support the Waste Enforcement Regional Lead Authorities and the recruitment and continued employment of a network of local authority waste enforcement officers. This investment is critical in providing an enhanced response on the ground to other infractions of the waste code.
In terms of monitoring how households manage their waste, certain local authorities have already introduced bye-laws which require householders to sign up to a household waste collection service.
The Regional Waste Management Planning Offices are also currently preparing a template to help standardise bye-laws on the presentation of waste. The draft template bye-laws aim to place the onus of proof on the householder to prove that they are managing their waste correctly by signing up to a waste collection service or providing receipts for the deposit of waste in authorised facilities.
In addition, the Regional Waste Management Plans contain further measures to identify areas of low collection and to work with communities and collectors to address this issue.
