Landlords in Dublin City who fail to keep the area surrounding their premises free from litter may soon be subject to tough sanctions, according to a report in the Herald at the weekend.
A number of submissions have been made by council officials to have landlords and proprietors held responsible for waste around their premises.
Proposals have been made to make owners and tenants equally liable to both litter found directly on the property and on adjacent roads and paths.
The measures would mean homeowners could be fined or potentially prosecuted if they fail to look after their estates as well as their own land.
At present, no action can be taken against the owner unless the litter is contained on the property.
In response to a query by Labour councillor Emer Costello, a council official in the Public Domain Unit, said: "We would hope that if these amendments are passed into legislation that they will encourage landlords to provide adequate waste collection services and suitable storage containers in order to prevent them being fined/prosecuted for the activities of their tenants.
"In the meantime we will continue to deploy the Litter Wardens to search for evidence which may lead to prosecutions."
Dublin City was branded a litter blackspot in the latest Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL) survey. Cllr Costello told the Herald that in light of the recent study, legislation in this area is "drastically needed".
"The IBAL study was very critical of the city's appearance and I am in no doubt that much of our litter is because of irresponsible landlords. I've been calling for this for a long time and I believe it is drastically needed for the city," she said.
"Residents' associations work extremely hard in so many areas and their great work is being spoilt by these irresponsible landlords. As a council we really need to instigate a major clampdown."
