A submission has been made to the Department of Agriculture by the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) about reckless littering in rural areas. The IFA is calling for urgent action to be taken on “a growing problem of serial dumping in the countryside”.

It has pointed to a problem of increased dumping of packaging waste generated from online purchases, builders’ rubble and household waste.

Taking action

IFA environment chair Paul O’Brien has called for five key actions to be taken:

  • Details of those who receive on-the-spot fines on more than two occasions published on local authority websites.
  • The regional waste enforcement authorities must ensure that all local authorities have a litter prevention plan in place, which is being implemented.

  • All local authorities must publish a list of convicted serial dumpers and seek tougher sentences.
  • All retailers, including those online, that put waste packing on the market, must be required to fund a recycling programme for the correct management of these materials.
  • Change the waste management laws to ensure that reckless dumpers are pursued by local authorities and enforcement agencies, not the farmers whose land is dumped upon.

    • Progress

    According to the IFA, it will seek a meeting with the Department of Environment in the coming weeks to make progress on these proposals. It is also seeking the completion of the used waste tyre collection service introduced previously by the Department of Agriculture, and a cost-effective recycling service for waste streams generated on farms, such as feed and fertiliser bags.

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