Illegal dumping in Galway city and county will only be effectively combatted if the Government increases funding under its own Enforcement Measures Grant, a local TD has said.
Fine Gael Galway West TD Hildegarde Naughton, along with other local representatives, met recently the Minister for Communications, Climate Action, and the Environment, Richard Bruton, to highlight the lack of funding available to local authorities in this area.
"There are many areas in Galway prone to illegal dumping and this creates difficulties for local communities. Not only is the visual amenity destroyed but often there are associated health and safety concerns,” Dep Naughton said.
She requested Minister Bruton to "urgently address" the situation and increase the funding available to both Galway city and county councils. She said the present Enforcement Measures grant of €72,000 to Galway County Council and €50,000 to Galway City Council are "far too small" and are based on "outdated figures and methodologies".
She said: "There is no way our local authorities can effectively mitigate against illegal dumping with such slender resources. Our councils need to be resourced to prosecute people fly-tipping and our citizens need to be able to enjoy their local communities free from illegal dumping.”
