Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 15 December 2022
85. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the steps that his Department is taking to tackle the issue of illegal dumping; if CCTV is being used to combat this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60628/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department provides significant support to the local authority sector in their efforts to tackle illegal dumping. Almost €15m, including €2.8m in 2022, has been provided to the sector under the Anti-Dumping Initiative (ADI) since it was first introduced in 2017 to encourage a collaborative approach between local authorities, community groups and other State Agencies to tackling the problem.
My Department also continues to invest heavily in the local authority waste enforcement network through the Local Authority Waste Enforcement Measures Grant Scheme, with the intention of maintaining a visible presence of waste enforcement personnel on the ground across the State. €7.7m was provided to local authorities under the scheme in 2022, while a further €1mn was provided to support the ongoing enhancement of the three Waste Enforcement Regional Lead Authorities (WERLAs).
The recently enacted Circular Economy and Miscellaneous Provisions Act advances several legislative provisions which will enhance efforts in this area, including through providing for the GDPR-compliant use of a range of technologies, such as CCTV and an increase in the level of the on-the-spot fine for littering.
Sections 22 & 23 of the Act require that the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) prepare and submit to me in my role as Minister for approval, draft codes of practice for the purpose of setting standards for the operation of CCTV and other mobile recording devices in order to deter environmental pollution and to facilitate the prevention, detection, and prosecution of littering and illegal dumping offences.
Once approved, these codes of practice will enable local authorities to put in place waste enforcement measures involving the GDPR-compliant use of technologies such as CCTV.
