Cameras looking like pieces of wood, a fence post or a lump of concrete will be hidden in the Co Wicklow and Dublin mountains later this autumn to catch illegal dumping infringements.
Litter louts and illegal dumpers can be caught via a series of cameras hidden in rocks and plants. The cameras, which cost €30,000 each, are part of a wider campaign to clean up the "Garden of Ireland".
Behind the project is Pure (Protecting Upland and Rural Environments) which comprises four county councils, the ESB, Coillte and the national parks and wildlife service of the Department of the Environment.
Project manager Ian Davies told RTÉ radio: "The CCTV is actually only one element of the project but the CCTV itself, we've been researching new high-tech equipment which is aimed at catching people who are illegally dumping." He said the hidden cameras were not immediately visible to the naked eye and could be triggered when someone entered the area. They also use infrared to record people's movements.
"They can look like concrete, pieces of wood, a fence post, so it's not easily detected when someone is actually involved in fly tipping.
"When somebody is actually caught on the CCTV camera, then the tape itself is brought to gardaí, so it's actually further evidence in the prosecution process." The cameras are expected to be put in place in November and December this year.
Mr Davies said similar cameras had proved successful in other countries.
He also announced a dedicated clean-up vehicle, which will be on the road from Monday.