Robbie Butler MLA, Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs spokesperson, has called for immediate and decisive action following the publication of a damning Northern Ireland Audit Office report into waste crime. He warned that Northern Ireland is once again being exploited by organised criminals due to weak enforcement, lax penalties, and political failure, echoing past scandals such as border fuel laundering.

“This report confirms what many of us feared: that Northern Ireland is being treated as a soft target by environmental criminals. First, it was fuel laundering; now it’s illegal dumping. And just like before, the consequences are being paid by the taxpayer, by legitimate businesses, and by the environment.”

The report highlights an estimated £34 million annual cost associated with waste crime, including environmental damage, tax losses, and clean-up costs. Yet, since 2019, court fines have amounted to just £1 million, which is a fraction of the £17 million it would have cost to dispose of the same waste legally.

“Fines that amount to pennies, inspections that don’t happen, and no checks on waste flows, it’s no wonder criminal networks are exploiting these gaps. You don’t deter this scale of illegality with polite letters and sporadic enforcement. We need a complete reset.”

Mr Butler said recent environmental controversies at Mobouy show that the threat is not hypothetical, and the risks of inaction are well known.

“There have been long-standing concerns over serious waste management failures in parts of Northern Ireland, some of which have been the subject of recent court proceedings. While I respect the ongoing legal process, I would simply say this: where large-scale dumping has taken place, the long-term environmental and financial consequences are immense. That reality should focus minds, not lead to further delay.”

The cross-border dimension of the problem also drew criticism from Mr Butler, who warned that lessons from past failures on fuel crime have clearly not been learned.

“In some of the worst historic cases, significant volumes of illegally dumped waste have been traced back to origins in the Republic of Ireland. If waste can move across the border with impunity, enforcement must too. It’s the same pattern we saw with fuel laundering: fragmented oversight, unclear accountability, and a political reluctance to act. That has to change.”

Mr Butler reiterated his call for a strong “polluter pays” approach to penalties, with consequences that act as a genuine deterrent.

“Polluters must pay, not just to clean up, but to feel the sting of enforcement. If dumping illegally is still cheaper than doing it properly, then the criminals are winning. Asset seizure, heavy fines, and public prosecutions must become the norm.”

He called on the Environment Minister to deliver a detailed Ministerial Statement.

“The Minister must now show leadership. We need more than platitudes - we need action, clarity, and accountability. That includes a recovery plan for inspections, a cross-border enforcement and waste traceability strategy, and a clear timetable to deal with legacy high-risk sites.”

Mr Butler concluded: “This is about confidence in the rule of law. If we allow waste criminals to operate with impunity, we send a message that Northern Ireland is open for environmental exploitation. That must end, and it must end now.”