Single jail term for waste offences over five-year period

The statistic came to light thanks to an Assembly question from TUV North Antrim MLA Jim Allister to the Agriculture and Environment Minister Edwin Poots (DUP, Lagan Valley).

If convicted at Crown Court, criminals can face unlimited fines and up to five years in jail, and be forced to pay back any profits. The sole jail sentence revealed by Mr Poots in Stormont on Monday was for a period of six months.

Responding, Mr Allister questioned how this could be an “effective deterrent”, adding that “very severe harm has been done by illegal waste disposal, and to find that only one person has paid with their liberty is surely disappointing”.

The devolved government describes waste crime as “a significant problem”, and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs says it takes the practice “very seriously”.

For example, Co Londonderry is home to what many media sources describe as one of the biggest illegal landfills in Europe: the Mobuoy site.

Discovered in 2012, it is estimated to contain upwards of 500,000 tonnes of rubbish.

Reacting to questions about the Mobuoy site on Monday, Mr Poots told MLAs that “there is huge money to be made from waste crime, and slaps on the wrist will not cut it when dealing with these criminals”.

In the same Assembly session, Mr Poots revealed that 17 sites in NI had been found to contain illegal rubbish from the Republic, adding that 11 of those “have been repatriated”.