Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 17 October 2017

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment

Waste Management (Tyres and Waste Tyres) Regulations: Discussion

5:00 pm

Photo of Kevin O'KeeffeKevin O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Chairman. At the beginning, the question was asked as to how Repak got the job. I have been watching proceedings and I do not think this question has been answered, unless I missed the response while walking to the committee room. On what basis was Repak appointed as the organisation to run this operation?

Another question the Chairman asked was how the rates were struck. Repak is supposed to be a non-profit organisation. On what basis is it striking the rate for the collection? I welcome that the agricultural community has been given some flexibility as regards the time to decide their rate. Did Mr. Collins's Department consult with the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport when it was formulating what rate it should charge to the members of the Irish Road Haulage Association? Did it take into due consideration that in the past 12 or 16 months, the Minister, Deputy Ross, got a derogation for heavy goods vehicles in respect of laden weights and axles? We have hauliers experiencing a cost bomb where they have to introduce extra axles on their vehicles to haul the same goods as they were hauling before. All those costs add up in respect of the number of tyres required. Was the derogation thought about in this context before the Department struck a high rate for the members of the Irish Road Haulage Association? It is creating a phenomenal hive of activity in commerce and jobs and so on. There are issues arising. I would be afraid to see small retail tyre operators lose out on the business if people should move their purchasing outside this jurisdiction. It is a concern and I ask the officials to revisit the area of the imposition of the costings because Repak is a non-profit organisation.

Has the Department secured a final destination for the disposal of all these rubber tyres? What happens if Limerick does not go ahead? There is a major appeal and a Bord Pleanála hearing in train there. If that project does not take off, can the officials be certain of destinations in Turkey, China or Korea? They are still growing economies. How compliant are they with environmental measures?

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