Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 1 July 2026
96. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment whether the re-examination of cigarette litter referred to in Dáil Éireann on 10 June 2026 will formally evaluate existing Irish citizen generated environmental evidence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50130/26]
View answer103. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment whether the full operating methodology of the national litter pollution monitoring system will be published, including the sampling frame, the GIS site selection methodology, the calculation of the Litter Pollution Index, the quality assurance and audit protocol, and all changes to the methodology since 1999; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50142/26]
View answer104. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the total annual cost of the National Litter Pollution Monitoring System since 2015, including the Litter Monitoring Body contract value, Departmental administration, software and GIS costs, and the estimated cost of local authority staff time in conducting, submitting and validating the surveys required annually; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50143/26]
View answer105. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment whether the underlying survey level data of the National Litter Pollution Monitoring System is published as open data in machine readable form, including GPS data, timestamp, survey type, litter pollution index score, litter categories, causative factors and audit status; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50144/26]
View answer106. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment whether any interactive map of the survey locations or results of the National Litter Pollution Monitoring System is publicly available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50145/26]
View answer107. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment whether the National Litter Pollution Monitoring System records the brands or producers of littered items; if not, the reason therefor; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50146/26]
View answer108. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment whether members of the public, TidyTowns groups, schools or citizen science platforms are permitted to contribute evidence to the National Litter Pollution Monitoring System; if not, the reason citizens are not able to contribute to a publicly funded environmental monitoring system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50147/26]
View answer109. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the technologies, university research partnerships or citizen participation his Department or the Litter Monitoring Body has invited or evaluated since 2015 to broaden or modernise data collection under the National Litter Pollution Monitoring System; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50148/26]
View answer111. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment whether his Department, or any agency, body, programme, contractor or public funder under his remit, has ever formally evaluated, procured, funded, integrated or corresponded with a platform (details supplied) or its citizen generated litter data; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50150/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 96, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109 and 111 together.
The National Litter Pollution Monitoring System (NLPMS) is an environmental management tool that supports local authorities in monitoring and addressing litter pollution. It provides a consistent and standardised framework for assessing litter levels across the country and generating robust data to inform local, regional and national litter policy.
Under the NLPMS, each local authority undertakes two types of surveys:
• Litter Pollution Surveys which assess the overall level of litter pollution at a location using a standard five-point Litter Pollution Index (LPI); and
• Litter Quantification Surveys which record the types and likely sources of litter present.
The data collected enables local authorities to monitor changes in litter levels over time, identify litter blackspots, assess the effectiveness of anti-litter initiatives and enforcement measures, and target resources where they are most needed.
Further information on the NLPMS, including annual reports, audit reports, a system overview and the monitoring manual setting out the survey methodology, is available at www.gov.ie/en/department-of-climate-energy-and-the-environment/publications/national-litter-pollution-monitoring-system/
Most local authorities use a Geographic Information System (GIS), originally developed by the former Local Government Computer Services Board, to identify survey locations within their functional areas. Decisions regarding the selection of survey locations and the operational costs incurred by individual local authorities are matters for each local authority. Accordingly, this information is not held by the Department.
In line with the Department's policy of providing information relating to the current and previous Dáil only, the annual expenditure on the NLPMS contract since 2020 is set out below.
|
2026 to date |
€ 23,231.25 |
|
2025 |
€ 71,174.84 |
|
2024 |
€ 56,463.16 |
|
2023 |
€ 55,139.05 |
|
2022 |
€ 31,947.93 |
|
2021 |
€ 48,501.44 |
|
2020 |
€ 35,331.75 |
The Department recognises the valuable contribution that citizens and communities make towards achieving Ireland's environmental and climate objectives. Citizen science plays an important role in improving our understanding of the natural environment and informing evidence-based policy and decision-making.
Through the Circular Economy Fund, the Department supports the work of the Irish Environmental Network (IEN), the national umbrella organisation representing 41 environmental non-governmental organisations. In 2025, funding of more than €3 million was provided to the IEN to support its members' environmental programmes, including a range of citizen science initiatives.
Examples of citizen science projects supported by IEN member organisations include:
• BirdWatch Ireland's annual Irish Garden Bird Survey which relies on observations submitted by members of the public.
• The Irish Wildlife Trust's recording programmes through which volunteers collect data on plants, insects and other wildlife species.
• The Native Woodland Trust's work to identify potentially disease-resistant Wych Elm trees.
• Sonairte's citizen science initiatives monitoring outdoor air quality.
Other IEN member organisations benefiting from Department funding and incorporating citizen science into their work include An Taisce, the Green Economy Foundation, Green Sod Ireland, the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group, Vincent Wildlife Trust and Leave No Trace Ireland. In addition, Strand 2 of the Community Climate Action Programme, funded through the Department's Climate Action Fund, supports community-led projects that encourage local climate action and public participation.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which operates independently under the aegis of the Department, also supports a wide range of citizen science initiatives. These projects engage members of the public in collecting valuable environmental data in areas including air quality, water quality, biodiversity monitoring and sustainable living, helping to strengthen the evidence base that informs environmental policy and action.
