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Funding for monitoring and surveillance equipment, including drones, has been made available to communities as part of a nationwide anti-dumping initiative.
Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment Richard Bruton has announced a 50% increase in funding for measures to prevent and respond to illegal dumping under the €3m anti-dumping initiative (ADI).
Announcing the funding, Minister Bruton said: "Illegal dumpers are poking their finger in the eye of communities all over the country. We can only stamp it out if we work together.”
Blackspots
Special emphasis will be put on dumping blackspots from which some 5,000t of illegal waste have been removed since 2017.
Half the funding announced will go towards tackling fly-tipping blackspots.
The Minister said in the vast majority of cases once a community took action in a particular area, reoffending became highly unlikely.
Along with enforcement of anti-dumping rules through surveillance drones, a dumping database will be developed.
There will also be funding for prevention using physical infrastructure like signs or fences and through the roll-out of special collections for awkward items such as mattresses.
Applications from communities are open until 30 April 2019.
Prosecutions
IFA environment chair Thomas Cooney welcomed the increase in funding, but said it must lead to increased prosecutions by local authorities.
Cooney said: “Farm families and rural dwellers are the real custodians of the environment. They are sickened by the abhorrent behaviour of passing motorists and serial dumpers who use the countryside as a tipping ground. It’s not acceptable and can’t continue.”
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