Ireland's State of the Environment Report 2024

416 Chapter 15: Circular Economy and Waste Waste enforcement In Ireland, waste enforcement is undertaken by local authorities supported by the Waste Enforcement Regional Lead Authorities (WERLAs) shared service model, the National Transfrontier Shipment Office and the EPA (Table 15.2). The National Waste Enforcement Steering Committee (NWESC) was set up in 2016 to coordinate and support waste enforcement priorities nationally across several government agencies. The committee is co-chaired by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC) and the EPA and it has set five high-level priorities for waste enforcement activities for 2022–2024 (DECC, 2021b): 1. tackling significant illegal waste activity 2. construction and demolition activity 3. End-of Life Vehicles Directive and the waste metal industry 4. waste collection – household and commercial 5. producer responsibility initiatives and additional local priorities. Table 15.2  Responsibilities of the waste enforcement bodies in Ireland Regulator Responsibilities EPA Enforcement of licensed activities – all disposal activities, all hazardous waste and incineration activities. Recovery activities over thresholds set out in legislation. Enforcement of certificate of registration sites and certificate of authorisation sites (historic landfills) issued to local authorities. Local authorities ■ Waste enforcement regional lead authorities (WERLAs) Three regions (Eastern Midlands, Southern and Connacht-Ulster) with lead local authorities that coordinate local authority waste enforcement actions. Monitoring and enforcement of household waste kerbside collectors. Enforcement of priority sites and operators. ■ 31 functional areas Enforcement of permitted waste facilities (recovery activities below certain thresholds set out in legislation) and certificate of registration sites issued to private sector. Enforcement of waste collection permits, which are authorised by the National Waste Collection Permit Office at Offaly County Council. National TransFrontier Shipment Office at Dublin City Council Competent authority for imports and exports of waste and transport of hazardous waste within Ireland. Local authority personnel are the first responders to specific breaches of waste legislation and have significant powers to tackle illegal waste activity (DECC, 2021c). In 2022, local authorities handled approximately 62,000 waste complaints, carried out over 135,000 waste inspections and initiated 580 waste prosecutions (excluding litter). This work represents 90% of all environmental complaints received by local authorities, almost 70% of all local authority environmental inspections and 93% of the environmental prosecutions undertaken by local authorities (EPA, 2023c). The WERLAs are a shared service governed by the local government sector through the County and City Management Association and have responsibility for coordinating the waste enforcement actions undertaken by local authorities within regions. Other responsibilities include monitoring and enforcement of household waste kerbside collectors and undertaking enforcement of priority sites and operators.