Westmeath receiving €20,000 to help fight litter problems

An allocation of €20,000 has been announced for works aimed at dealing with illegal dumping in Westmeath.

The funding is for three different projects – a clear-up of the public lane at the rear of Cathedral View; the promotion of community involvement at Abbeylands and Ashfield estates; and, for other measures including an awareness programme and CCTV provision.

The announcement of the extra funding was made by the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment Denis Naughten.

Each local authority is receiving an allocation, and the reason for this is the “unprecedented demand”, the department has revealed.

Minister Naughten launched a major anti-illegal dumping initiative (ADI) in March and encouraged all local authorities and communities across the country to avail of a €650,000 allocation for the scheme.

The use of covert surveillance and smart technology including aerial imagery from drones and satellites as well as the installation of CCTV cameras and better enforcement and prosecution actions formed part of the new crackdown by Minister Naughten.

“The battle is on to catch and prosecute those who are committing environmental and economic treason by dumping waste illegally across our countryside, roads and rivers,” said the minister.

“Our communities are standing as one to say enough. Our rivers, mountainsides, towns and villages are to be used no longer as the dumping grounds for those among us who have no respect for their environment or their neighbours.”

“I have doubled the initial allocation of €650,000 to support a new round of applications to clean up dumping black-spots and to target those responsible using technology such as drone surveillance,” added Minister Naughten.