The Government is yet to receive codes of practice from the Local Government Management Agency to allow local authorities to use CCTV and other technologies to detect and tackle illegal dumping, a year after an Act on the topic was brought into law.

The Circular Economy and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2022 provides for the GDPR-compliant use of a range of technologies, such as CCTV, for waste enforcement purposes to support efforts to tackle illegal dumping and littering, while protecting the privacy rights of citizens.

The Act was signed into law by President Michael D Higgins in 2022. However, local authorities across Ireland are still waiting on the green light to use CCTV to tackle illegal dumping and littering.

This is because the Government is yet to receive codes of practice from the LGMA on the topic, and until such time as these codes of practice are examined and signed off on by the Government, CCTV cannot be used by local authorities to tackle these issues.

“Local authorities have sought to be in a position to make use of CCTV as an option in tackling illegal dumping and pollution for some time, and worked, through the County and City Management Association, with the Data Protection Commission and the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications to progress this,” the LGMA noted in a statement.

It added that the Circular Economy Act provides for the use of CCTV and other technologies to support waste management. Section 22 of the Act requires that to ensure a standard and compliant approach by the 31 local authorities, the LGMA develops codes of practice for approval by the Minister.

The Agency said that a working group has been established and the codes of practice are well advanced and are now being legal [sic] reviewed.” “It is expected that draft codes will be prepared for consultation with the relevant bodies as required under the Act, once the legal review is complete. This consultation will inform a final draft, which will be submitted for approval by the Minister.”