Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

Shutterstock/Mildenmi
kicking bad habits

Government to increase on-the-spot litter fines to €250

A litter report showed that cigarettes make up half of street litter.

THE GOVERNMENT IS considering ways to decrease litter on the streets after a report indicated that cigarettes make up half of all street litter.

TheJournal.ie understands the Minister for Communications Denis Naughten intends to increase the on-the-spot litter fine from €150 to €250. On-the-spot fines can be issued by a litter warden appointed by the local authority or by a Garda.

The 2017 National Litter Pollution Report showed that the main constituent elements of litter pollution nationwide were cigarette-related litter (56.3%), packaging litter (17.6%), food-related litter (9.0%), and sweet-related litter (7.9%).

image002 Dept of Communications Dept of Communications

The report also shows that pedestrians are the main causes of litter (42%) and passing motorists are the second greatest offenders, accounting for 19% in 2017.

There’s also good news in the report:

  • 15.6% of areas surveyed were litter free – a 2.4% increase from 2016
  • 63.9% of areas surveyed were slightly littered
  • Moderately polluted areas have decreased to 17.1% (it was 18.0% in 2016)

Commenting on the findings of the report, Minister Naughten said that while some of the results are “encouraging”, more work needs to be done.

“We need to focus our efforts to maintain the improving standards being achieved across the country. A combination of awareness, education and enforcement is required in order to successfully combat our litter challenges.”

Your Voice
Readers Comments
43
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy here before taking part.
Leave a Comment
    Submit a report
    Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
    Thank you for the feedback
    Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.

    Leave a commentcancel