The Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Denis Naughten, T.D., has launched a new anti-dumping initiative to support the clean-up of dumping black-spots and to target those who engage in this illegal practice.
Speaking in Ballinasloe at the launch of the 2017 anti-dumping initiative Minister Denis Naughten said:
“The growth in this irresponsible, criminal and unpatriotic activity requires a national response. I want to see local authorities use the funds that I am making available to equip their officers with the latest technologies including overt and covert surveillance equipment, drone technology and other SMART enforcement tools in order to make the risk of detection high enough to deter those prepared to engage in this nefarious practice.”
“My Department is making an initial allocation of €650,000 available to support this initiative. Funding will be allocated to projects where community groups and other state agencies work in partnership to clean-up and prevent illegal dumping and where appropriate enforcement actions are being undertaken” added Minister Naughten.
“What we hope to achieve is a significant behavioural change. Community groups that engage in local clean-ups, motivated purely by love of place and pride in parish, have been the bulwarks against those who engage in this deplorable practice- their efforts to push back deserve recognition and support.”
Applications for funding are being invited from Local Authorities for consideration by the relevant Waste Enforcement Regional Local Authority subject to the selection criteria developed for this purpose. This includes monitoring and surveillance of dumping “black spots” and the development of an integrated and effective approach to dealing with this issue.
Calling on all stakeholders to redouble their efforts Minister Naughten concluded by saying “Rural dumping threatens jobs and income in rural Ireland and undermines everything that the various agencies promoting Ireland in a post-Brexit Europe are trying to accomplish. Put bluntly, illegal dumping is economic and environmental treason.”
Further information is available from the Environmental Section of Roscommon County Council via 090 6637260 or by emailing [email protected] . Waste or litter pollution complaints can also be made to these points of contact.