A total of €2.5 million has been allocated by the Minister for the Environment, Mr Cullen, to local authorities for recycling.
Mr Cullen said yesterday that a similar amount would be allocated in the autumn when the Department had received data for the first six months of this year.
"I am rewarding those authorities who are implementing their plans and taking a proactive approach to waste recovery and recycling," he said. "This is a strategy I intend to adhere to."
He said that the expenditure would focus on the provision of further "bring banks" for recyclable materials and civic amenity sites for recyclables and bulky household waste.
The money is coming from the environment fund which is made up of the €13.5 million raised from the levy on plastic bags and the million from the landfill levy. The levies were introduced last year.
Mr Cullen said that an unprecedented level of funding was now available for environmental protection and improvement.
"I would urge elected members and officials at local level to continue pushing the environmental agenda as we are making progress, although there is still a lot to be done," he said.
"The provision of better waste management services and infrastructure is my top environmental concern and I am committed to playing my part in terms of providing supporting funding."
