ON-THE-SPOT litter and dog fouling fines are set to increase by €100 in September, rising from €150 to €250.

Minister of State for the Circular Economy Alan Dillon will today announce the plans, which will come into force from 1 September.

It’s also understood that Dillon will seek to encourage local authorities to improve enforcement with the extra revenue generated.

Meanwhile, Dillon will also announce a €3m investment in anti-dumping initiatives across all local authorities, as well as funding for some 200 anti-dumping projects nationwide.

These anti-dumping projects include clean-up operations, CCTV monitoring, public awareness campaigns and enforcement initiatives.

However, Cork City and Labour councillor Peter Horgan has criticised the decision to increase fines “without addressing the completely unworkable enforcement system” in place.

Horgan said the move “risks becoming another headline without any meaningful change on the ground unless local authorities are given practical powers to enforce the rules effectively”.

He said local authorities struggle to issue “any fines at all because of the impossible evidential burden involved”.

“At present, a litter warden effectively has to witness the offence in full, identify the individual involved, and then rely on members of the public being willing to go to court,” said Horgan.

“That system simply is not working.”

He added that “simply increasing the fine while leaving the same broken enforcement system in place will not solve the problem”.

“If anything, it risks creating the illusion of action while councils continue to issue little or no penalties,” said Horgan.

He called for the “focus to shift toward practical enforcement measures rather than publicity announcements”.

“We need visible enforcement at the times when offences are actually occurring, not just more posters and press releases.

“We also need legislation that removes the current burden of proof that is preventing wardens from acting effectively.”