Waste Enforcement Regional Lead Authorities

The three Waste Enforcement Regional Lead Authorities (WERLAs) for the Southern, Eastern and Midlands, and Connacht/Ulster Regions are Cork County Council, Dublin City Council and Leitrim and Donegal County Councils (combined) respectively.

The WERLAs have responsibility for coordinating waste enforcement actions within regions, setting priorities and common objectives for waste enforcement, ensuring consistent enforcement of waste legislation across the three existing waste management planning regions while still leaving local authority personnel as first responders on the ground to specific breaches of waste legislation. The WERLAs will facilitate more streamlining of the tasks currently undertaken in the waste enforcement area.

The work of the WERLAs is overseen by a National Steering Committee which includes representatives from a wide range of regulatory authorities. National waste enforcement priorities are set by the committee and drive consistency at a central level.

Other stakeholders in the waste sector have an opportunity to input into this enhanced waste enforcement structure through an Industry Contact Group.