Govt boosts illegal dumping fight with funds

The Government has allocated extra funding to clamp down on illegal waste dumping, it emerged today.

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Batt O’Keeffe vowed to tackle illegal waste exports, particularly to Northern Ireland.

He called for better co-operation between the Republic’s 34 local authorities, the Environment Protection Agency, the Office of Environmental Enforcement and Northern Ireland authorities.

He said: “We are having to cope with increasing levels of unauthorised activities – ranging from illegal dumps to movements of illegal waste out of the country.”

To tackle the problem, the minister has guaranteed €7m per year until 2006 to support the waste enforcement schemes of local authorities.

Mr O’Keeffe said: “We are catching up fast with illegal waste activities and with the resources, with mutual cooperation and the willingness we can collectively crack this problem.”

Addressing an EPA conference in Portlaoise, Mr O’Keeffe acknowledged that good progress had already been made in recent years in dealing with Ireland’s waste.

:: Recycling of municipal waste had jumped by 8% to 21% last year.

:: The Republic had met its 2001 EU target of 25% packaging waste recovery.

:: Two-thirds of construction and demolition waste was recovered in 2001.

:: Over €40m has been allocated to waste infrastructure projects.

:: A total of 42% of households now have segregated collection services.