Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 3 June 2020
800. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the steps he is taking to help county councils deal with an increase in incidents of illegal dumping and fly-tipping during Covid-19 lockdown; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8321/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraIllegal dumping is first and foremost a matter of individual responsibility and compliance with the law. Enforcement actions against illegal waste activity are a matter for the Local Authorities and the Office of Environmental Enforcement. An allocation of €3 million has been made to support the 2020 Anti-Dumping Initiative. Since the introduction of the Anti-Dumping Initiative in 2017, funding of €6.3 million has been provided by my Department which has supported over 700 projects and removed 10,000 tonnes of illegally dumped waste across the country. This is in addition to the €7.4m annual enforcement grant, which supports the recruitment and retention of 150 local authority waste enforcement personnel across the country.
I have ring-fenced and prioritised one million euro of the 2020 allocation to combat illegal dumping activities associated with these challenging times with funding being provided for monitoring and surveillance of dumping black-spots, removal of illegally deposited waste and other measures that will prevent this activity and catch the perpetrators involved.
A national anti-dumping awareness campaign has also been undertaken to highlight that household waste services are operating normally, that householders must use an authorised waste collector or their local civic amenity to dispose of household waste and that leaving waste, including recyclables, on the street close to waste collection amenities is considered illegal dumping.
It is important to note that Government has designated waste collection as an essential service and that measures taken by my Department, working in conjunction with industry and other regulatory authorities, has ensured the continued operation and availability of these services across all local authorities. The investment made by my Department in the network of waste enforcement officers has resulted in a robust waste system which has been able to operate effectively in these challenging times.
