There is to be an urgent crackdown on criminal and paramilitary involvement in the illegal dumping of waste on both sides of the border.
The announcement was made by the Minister for the Environment, Martin Cullen, at the publication of a report by the Environment Protection Agency.
The Government's handling of the environment has been criticised in the EPA report.
The overall conclusion of the report is that Ireland's environment remains of generally good quality but the EPA has some serious concerns.
The EPA’s primary concern is the issue of global warming, as Ireland is producing more than twice the amount of greenhouse gases it is supposed to under the Kyoto Agreement.
The EPA says urgent action is required otherwise significant costs could ensue.
In a related topic, the agency found that the Government has made little progress in delivering public transport and, consequently, there are more cars on the roads than ever before. This has meant an increase in carbon dioxide emissions.
On energy, the EPA says Ireland is critically and increasingly dependent on imported non-renewable fossil fuels. It says a profound change in attitudes is required.
The agency also deals with pollution from forestry and ongoing illegal dumping.
It suggests that short-term traffic restrictions may be required in urban centres to reduce air-pollution.
