Anyone caught littering will soon be facing heftier penalties as the government rolls out amendments to the Environment Protection Act, putting repeat offenders at risk of being fined up to €15,000. 

Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, Environment Minister Jose Herrera unveiled a series of new fines that will come into force shortly.

Fines for those who dump litter in public areas will be doubled, with penalties for depositing materials in such places increasing to up to €300. Similarly, anyone caught tampering with waste collection infrastructure will be fined between €150 and €500, up from between €58 and €116.

Repeat offenders risked fines of up to €15,000, the minister explained.

The new regulations are also aimed at addressing issues such as littering during village feasts and open markets as well as at Natura 2000 sites.

“With these changes, we will be tackling problems caused by those who just don’t care about the environment. The public consultation launched today is the first step in introducing the amendments, which are part of a holistic plan,” Dr Herrera said.

Urging cooperation, the minister said the consultation period will run for four weeks.