Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to detail (i) the number of illegal waste sites that are known to the NI Environment Agency, in each constituency, in the most recent year for which data is available; and (ii) whether any estimate has made of the total number of large-scale illegal waste sites.
Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs: The 339 illegal waste sites that were reported and accepted for investigation by NIEA Environmental Crime Unit (ECU) during the financial year of 1 April 2025 – 31 March 2026 are detailed below by Council Area:
Antrim and Newtownabbey: 41
Ards and North Down: 31
Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon: 46
Belfast: 26
Causeway Coast and the Glens: 20
Derry and Strabane: 33
Fermanagh and Omagh: 18
Lisburn and Castlereagh: 24
Mid and East Antrim: 27
Mid Ulster: 25
Newry Mourne and Down: 48
Illegal waste sites recorded by NIEA vary significantly in scale, complexity and environmental impact. They range from small‑scale fly‑tipping incidents involving limited volumes of waste, to more extensive illegal dumping operations involving large quantities of material, multiple waste streams or hazardous waste.
The NIEA works with District Councils based on a mutually agreed Fly Tipping Protocol. Under the protocol, local Councils are typically responsible for addressing minor fly-tipping incidents, whereas the Environmental Crime Unit handles cases of greater severity including sites that exceed 20 cubic metres (20m³) of waste or hazardous waste. Councils may also refer cases to NIEA where there are significant environmental risks or enforcement considerations.
It is not possible to provide a reliable estimate of the number of large‑scale illegal waste sites across Northern Ireland. Such sites are, by their nature, concealed and unlicensed, with no formal reporting or registration mechanisms. Discovery is largely dependent on the receipt of information from other public bodies, public reporting, and enforcement activity. As a result, any figure would be speculative and could be misleading.
ENDS
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