A Westmeath councillor is calling for a special team to be set up within the council to investigate how people dispose of their rubbish.
Fine Gael Councillor John Dolan says the local authority spends hundreds of thousands of euro a year cleaning up illegal dumping and it might be better to put funds towards investigation instead.
Councillor Dolan says people who dispose of the rubbish responsibly would have nothing to fear from being asked , and the calls would help highlight households that may be choosing to dump their waste rather than pay a legitimate collector.
The Fine Gael councillor also says he believes people who are convicted of illegal dumping should be named and shamed.