Roscommon/ Galway deputy Denis Naughten has called for laws to be strengthened to allow vehicles used in illegal dumping to be impounded.
Speaking in the Dáil, the Independent deputy said illegal dumping has become an even greater problem during lockdown, at a time when people are heavily reliant on public spaces to get out of the house.
He described as “criminal behavior” individuals indiscriminately littering from bags of rubbish to van loads of rubbish at any many scenic rural locations.
Some local authorities, he said, are reporting up to a 30 percent increase in illegal dumping since the start of the Covid 19 pandemic.
He said the onus is on householders to manage their household waste, but he said tighter controls by local authorities are now needed to curb the problem.
