Thirty-three illegal waste sites in Derry and Strabane were investigated by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) last year.
The sites were reported to the NIEA Environmental Crime Unit (ECU) during the financial year April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026.
A total of 339 illegal waste sites across the North were reported and accepted for investigation by the NIEA ECU last year.
After Newry Mourne and Down (48), Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon (46) and Antrim and Newtownabbey (41), Derry and Strabane had the fourth highest number of suspect sites.
Environment minister Andrew Muir stated: “Illegal waste sites recorded by NIEA vary significantly in scale, complexity and environmental impact.
“They range from small‑scale fly‑tipping incidents involving limited volumes of waste, to more extensive illegal dumping operations involving large quantities of material, multiple waste streams or hazardous waste.
“The NIEA works with District Councils based on a mutually agreed Fly Tipping Protocol.
“Under the protocol, local Councils are typically responsible for addressing minor fly-tipping incidents, whereas the ECU handles cases of greater severity including sites that exceed 20 cubic metres (20m³) of waste or hazardous waste.”
Mr. Muir was responding to an Assembly Question tabled by the SDLP MLA Patsy McGlone.
The minister said councils may also refer cases to NIEA where there are significant environmental risks or enforcement considerations.
“It is not possible to provide a reliable estimate of the number of large‑scale illegal waste sites across Northern Ireland. Such sites are, by their nature, concealed and unlicensed, with no formal reporting or registration mechanisms. Discovery is largely dependent on the receipt of information from other public bodies, public reporting, and enforcement activity,” he stated.
