Dublin City Council is launching a new enforcement programme targeting households without waste collection contracts in areas plagued by illegal dumping, as part of efforts to tackle what officials describe as a serious littering crisis.
The initiative will begin with a pilot phase in Dublin’s North Inner City, which has been named Ireland’s most littered area in consecutive Irish Business Against Litter surveys for 2024 and 2025.
Under the new “reverse register” system, waste collection companies will be required to maintain records of customer Eircodes and make this information available to the council upon request. Wardens will then visit homes without contracts, requiring residents to provide evidence of legal waste disposal.
Environment executive Derek Kelly emphasized the programme aims to educate rather than punish residents. “We’re not trying to go after individuals, but we do want them to heed the law on illegal dumping,” he said, noting the problem affects both city centre and suburban areas.
The council is currently finalizing how the project can operate within existing legislation and data protection requirements. Additional areas beyond the north inner city may be targeted based on litter warden assessments.
To strengthen enforcement capabilities, Dublin City Council has recruited six new litter wardens, including a dedicated night patrol service for after-dark monitoring. Over 200 people have already received €150 on-the-spot fines for littering this year.
The initiative represents Dublin’s most targeted approach yet to addressing illegal waste disposal in problem areas.