Opposition criticises litter fine hike

Opposition parties have claimed that the Government's decision to increase litter fines by 20 per cent to €150 is unworkable because there are too few wardens to enforce the law.

The new on-the-spot fine, which came into force yesterday, sees the cost of a fine rising by €25.

Minister for the Environment John Gormley said yesterday that the increase, which was first announced in July, should act as a more powerful deterrent to offenders. However, opposition parties today said that it would do little to combat the problem of littering.

Recent figures show that of the 27,000 fines of €125 handed down by litter wardens across the State last year, only 12,000 were paid.

Fine Gael's environment spokesman Phil Hogan said an increase in litter wardens along with a wholesale crackdown was needed rather than a "meagre fine" increase.

"For a real difference to be made the number of litter wardens should have been expanded along with a huge increase in the fine and all of this should have been part of a comprehensive anti-litter strategy," said Mr Hogan.

"Tinkering with the edges of Ireland's litter problem will make no difference and it is to the cost of our environment that the Minister has chosen this route."

The Labour Party's environment spokesperson Joanna Tuffy was also sceptical about the effect the new fine would have.

Noting that there are currently only 124 litter wardens employed on a full-time basis by councils across the country, Ms Tuffy said that it was 'virtually impossible" for them to provide the service needed to enforce the fine.

"Increasing the fine is the easy option, but it is very doubtful as to whether it will actually make any impact at all in the absence of enforcement infrastructure," said Ms Tuffy.

The IBEC-backed Gum Litter Taskforce welcomed the implementation of the fine with its chairman, Paul Kelly, saying that it would help in tackling the gum litter issue by encouraging consumers to dispose of their used gum by putting it in the bin.