Litter and illegal dumping are “a scourge on our landscape”, Galway East TD Seán Canney said as he urged the Minister for the Environment Eamon Ryan to “fast-track” legislation to use CCTV in detecting and prosecuting illegal dumping.
The independent TD said that the cost of cleaning up litter and illegally-dumped waste is “enormous, and a severe crackdown is required”.
The deputy said that local authorities “have been hampered in their efforts over a number of years” following a ruling by the Data Protection Commissioner.
The Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications published the General Scheme of the Circular Economy Bill 2021 in June.
Under this bill, it is intended that the use of CCTV, along with a range of Audio Visual Recording (AVR) equipment, will be facilitated “in order to assist local authorities in their efforts to combat litter and illegal dumping“.
Minister of State at the Department of the Environment Ossian Smyth said that drafting of the bill is “well advanced” as is the pre-legislative scrutiny process before the Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action.
“The bill will be published and enacted as soon as possible after pre-legislative scrutiny has been completed and I have considered the report of the committee,” Minister Symth said.
“A combination of legislation and guidance will help to ensure that the processing of personal data, obtained through the use of CCTV and AVR equipment, may be carried out by local authorities tasked with enforcing both litter and waste legislation.
“The bill can also facilitate consideration of the use of Fixed Penalty Notices for litter and waste enforcement purposes.”