Mr. Matthew Collins:

I will address Deputy Troy's questions first. I understand the criticism that we are leaving some things open. What we are trying to say is that we are providing flexibility as we are implementing the new scheme in order that all the stakeholders can have an input. It is important to think about what we are trying to achieve here. We are simply asking the tyre industry to be able to do what other areas such as electronic equipment waste, packaging, batteries or farm plastics have been doing for years. It is an effective way of managing and controlling the waste and is no more than that. The concern was the complete failure of the previous scheme. That is why we moved on to this proposal.

The Minister at the time appointed Repak ELT to the run the scheme under the 2007 regulations. That was the Minister's decision and he was basing it on the best available experience at the time in terms of well-run schemes that are meeting European and national obligations in respect of waste reduction.

On the suggestion of a lack of consultation, I do not think it is a fair criticism. We have had a process that has taken three years, in which all stakeholders have been able to take part. We have even gone as far as providing information to stakeholders when they choose not to attend. It has been an open process, which also included determining how the rates were set. The different stakeholders engaged in the working groups and decisions were made on the appropriate level of charging.

The penalties are set out in the Waste Management Act. To clarify, we have made an allocation of €1 million for this year for the purpose of collecting tyres that have been illegally dumped in the countryside. That is undergoing public procurement through the local authorities, which have already identified approximately 750,000 tyres. I am not able to say what the cost per tyre will be. We have to wait to see how much it costs to have them collected. I cannot say what the cost per tyre of illegally dumped tyres will be. We will just have to wait for the outcome of the procurement process.

On being very bureaucratic, we are trying to provide a system that meets the requirements of the environmental goals. We have taken on board many of the concerns of the different stakeholders, both commercial operators and environmental and community perspectives. It is a matter of operating a scheme that is the same as what we operate for packaging, batteries, farm plastics and so on. We are not being more bureaucratic than we are for other waste streams that are particularly damaging.

Deputy O'Keeffe asked me how the rate was struck. It was part of the tyres working group. On the hauliers' derogation, the tyres working group was open to all stakeholders. If there have been developments in the hauliers sector and those issues are not brought forward to us, it is very difficult for us to be able to respond. We have invited the Irish Road Haulage Association to come forward with its concerns and proposals. If people do not raise issues, it becomes very difficult for us to engage. That was the purpose of the engagement.

On the costings and destinations, Repak outlined a number of different types of uses for waste tyres, as well as destinations in terms of different countries to which they may be exported.