On two occasions in the past year I have raised the scourge of illegal dumping, the damage it causes to the environment and water supplies and the fact that it is a blight on the landscape.

Penalties for those caught in the act of illegal dumping are not strict enough. It is ridiculous that a person caught on CCTV in the act of illegal dumping cannot be brought to court. It was recently reported that illegal dumping is costing local authorities up to €90 million a year to clean up and this does not factor in the time and effort put in by Tidy Towns committees and other volunteers. There is increased frustration that little is being done to tackle this problem which is getting completely out of control. On two separate occasions I have asked for a task force to be established, consisting of An Garda Síochána, departmental officials and local authorities, to deal with this situation. They must be given real powers including the power to use CCTV footage and the power to seize vehicles and equipment involved in illegal dumping with severe penalties imposed for those caught in the act and for the release of these vehicles.

I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. There should be no tolerance of illegal dumping which is an attack on our environment, communities and landscape. Penalties for illegal dumping are significant. People who are found responsible for unauthorised disposal of waste are liable to a maximum fine of €5,000 on summary conviction and-or imprisonment of up to 12 months, and to a maximum fine of €15 million on conviction on indictment and-or imprisonment for up to ten years. The upcoming circular economy Bill will also consider further changes to the fixed penalty notice system.

The Data Protection Commissioner provides guidance concerning statutory obligations placed on those using CCTV systems to collect personal data, and the rights and redress mechanisms available. My understanding is that the Data Protection Commissioner has written to the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications concerning data protection issues with the use of CCTV cameras for litter and waste enforcement processes. Her view is that the legislation provides local authorities with the power to prevent and investigate, and protect and prosecute littering and dumping, but does not provide for the processing of images taken by CCTV. That is currently being considered by the Minister and his Department.