More drones to tackle illegal dumping

THE use of drones to catch illegal dumping is to be expanded thanks to a €2million grant. Environment Minister Denis Naughten yesterday confirmed the Government is increasing its funding to the Anti-Illegal Dumping Initiative from €1.3million last year to €2million for the year ahead.

Minister Naughten was joined by Rural Affairs Minister Michael Ring yesterday as the duo heralded the success of last year’s programme, which had initially received funding of just €600,000 in 2017 but was subsequently more than doubled to €1.3m due to massive demand from local authorities around the country.

In last year’s programme, the ministers said that 230 clean-up and restorative projects were carried out and almost 3,000 tonnes of waste were removed from ‘public and private lands, beaches, walking routes and residential areas’.

The use of ‘covert surveillance and smart technology, including aerial imagery from drones and satellites’ will form a central part of this year’s plan. And they will also rely on the ‘installation of CCTV cameras and better enforcement and prosecution actions’ as part of this year’s ‘crackdown’. Night vision technology will also be used.

Minister Naughten’s department confirmed drones were used last year and yesterday he said the devices are ‘critically important in gathering the evidence that’s needed. [By] using the drone technology, we can identify the individuals dumping the rubbish and help secure prosecutions.’