Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 February 2026
163. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the amount of illegal dumping collected by the four Dublin local authorities in each of the years 2020 to date in 2026; the measures his Department is taking to address this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14754/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the Waste Management Act, the primary responsibility for management and enforcement responses to illegal dumping lies with the local authorities. It is a matter for each local authority to determine the most appropriate awareness, enforcement, clean-up and disposal actions in relation to illegal dumping, taking account of local circumstances and priorities. As such, the Department does not hold information on the levels of illegal dumping occurring in individual local authorities. Questions relating to the level of illegal dumping in Dublin should be directed to the relevant local authorities.
However, the Department continues to provide significant support to the local authority sector in their efforts to deal with incidences of illegal dumping. €23 million has been provided to local authorities under the Anti-Dumping Initiative (ADI) since it was launched in 2017, including €2.89 million in 2025, to encourage a collaborative approach between local authorities, community groups and other State Agencies to tackling the problem of illegal dumping. A further €3 million will be allocated in support of the ADI in 2026.
The Department also continues to invest heavily in the local authority waste enforcement network through the Local Authority Waste Enforcement Measures Grant Scheme. Since this scheme was established in 2003, almost €160 million has been provided to local authorities by the Department in order to support the ongoing recruitment and retention of a network of waste enforcement staff across the country. A further €7.7 million has been allocated under this scheme in 2026, including over €1.8 million to the four Dublin local authorities.
