Large-scale illegal dumping in Ireland has been "stamped out" through the improved enforcement of environmental legislation, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
In its annual highlights report for 2005, the agency said its Office of Environmental Enforcement (OEE) had focused on tackling illegal waste activities with significant success - including cross-Border movement of waste.
It said large-scale illegal dumping, such as what happened in Co Wicklow, was no longer occurring. "Illegal cross-Border movement of waste had also reduced significantly as a result of increased vigilance and cross-Border co-operation."
But the report conceded that several challenges remained, given that 21 per cent of households were either not availing of or being provided with a waste collection service and levels of backyard burning and fly-tipping had risen.
EPA director general Dr Mary Kelly cautioned against complacency, saying environmental enforcement authorities, including the agency, would have to remain vigilant while "serious legacy issues" from past illegal dumping still had to be dealt with.
Enforcement of EPA licences continued to yield results, and OEE inspectors conducted 173 audits and 703 inspections of higher-risk facilities covered by integrated pollution control licences. In total, 619 non-compliance notices were served.
Twenty prosecutions were brought in the District Courts. Convictions were secured in 16 of these cases, three were referred to higher courts and one case was dismissed on a technicality. At the end of the year, a further 11 District Court cases were on hand.
Dr Kelly said EPA legal action led to direct investment by licensees of some €19 million to improve various facilities in 2005. There had also been a "dramatic turnaround" in compliance with waste export regulations at ports.
"Work carried out by the Environmental Enforcement Network significantly reduced the illegal trafficking of waste to mainland Europe and also developed the capacity of local authorities to enforce environmental legislation," she said.
A total of 22 audits were carried out on wastewater and drinking water treatment plants. The OEE also undertook 244 investigations into activities that were the responsibility of local authorities on foot of complaints made to the EPA. The report also noted that the EU emissions trading scheme (ETS) to reduce greenhouse gas levels, was up and running. In 2005, the EPA allocated 66.96 million tonnes of allowances under the scheme to large producers.
Firms with emissions above the cap must either reduce them or purchase allowances to meet their requirements while those with lower emissions may trade their excess. Regulations on electrical and electronic waste were introduced in August and resulted in 5,000 tonnes of waste collection in recycling centres, a fourfold increase on the 2004 figure.