Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 July 2019
2189. Deputy Colm Brophy asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the amount of funding and the number of community projects that have benefitted from anti-dumping funding since 2011, by year and county in tabular form. [32051/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraEach local authority is responsible for the supervision and the enforcement of the relevant provisions of the Waste Management Act 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.
Notwithstanding this fact, my Department encourages a multifaceted approach to tackling the problem, incorporating enforcement, public awareness and education and, as such, provides funding to support the activities of the Waste Enforcement Regional Lead Authorities and the network of local authority waste enforcement officers. In this regard, since 2011 some €60 million has been allocated by my Department to support a network of local authority waste enforcement officers.
In addition, since 2017 my Department has provided funding to local authorities working with community and voluntary organisations in tackling the problem of illegal dumping through the National Anti-Dumping Initiative. In March of this year I announced funding of €3 million for the 2019 Anti-Dumping Initiative, an increase of 50% on last year, which will support 280 projects nationwide. Details of this year’s allocations and the projects funded by this initiative in 2017 and 2018 can be accessed on my Department's website at the following link:
https://www.dccae.gov.ie/en-ie/environment/topics/waste/enforcement/anti-dumping-initiative/Pages/AntiDumpingInitiative.aspx .
