Dubliners could face increased on the spot littering fines of up €250
Those thoughtlessly tossing trash around Dublin might have to think twice, as increased litter fines could be incoming.
Lord Mayor Councillor Ray McAdam has called for Dublin City Council, and other local authorities, to increase on the spot fines as soon as possible. With the incoming Environment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill providing greater scope for penalties related to littering, a fee up to €250 could be issued to litterbugs.
The current maximum on the spot fine is €150, but this goes up to €4,000 if convicted in the District Court, as well as €600 for every day the offender continues to litter after a conviction. However, enforcement has been low in recent years, as Newstalk previously reported that just 68 littering fines were issued until the end of July in 2025, this was down from 1,080 in 2023, which represented an 89% drop in fines over the same period.
“As Lord Mayor, I’m keen to see a regeneration of our capital city. A huge part of this is ensuring the city centre is clean, safe and welcoming for all,” Lord Mayor McAdam said.
“Litter is a huge issue right across the city centre and we must take stronger steps to tackle it. We want to have pride in our city centre, and we can’t do this if some people refuse to respect our environment.”
The Environment Bill has already passed all stages in the Oireachtas and is now with President Connolly to be signed. However, Lord Mayor McAdam stressed the importance of local authorities actually increasing fines once the bill has gone through.
“ Dublin City Council have taken action by employing extra waste management staff, increasing the number of streets that are cleaned on a 24-hour basis , and appointing new litter wardens. This helps clean up the litter, but we must also look at preventing littering in the first place,” he said.
“The current fines are not sufficient to dissuade people from littering. We must increase the maximum on the spot fine to €250.
“Volunteers right across the country work hard to keep our communities clean, and this is undermined by people who litter without care for the environment or community.
“We have to get tough on this. We must take the opportunity now to increase these fines and send a clear message that littering will not be tolerated.
“Stronger fines will help ensure our city centre is respected and kept clean for everyone,” concluded the Lord Mayor.
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