Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

An issue we discussed extensively last year was waste management and potential difficulties arising from changes in the way in which recyclable materials would be collected. As the Minister knows, it is on the agenda again, with a particular company changing its charging structure. At the time there was much talk about the necessity to change consumer behaviour and I know that some money was set aside for that purpose. Will the Minister give a view on the effectiveness of the consumer behaviour initiatives taken in that regard? I still hear about people who have a difficulty in understanding what is and is not recyclable, what should put in the green and blue bins and what should be put in what is generally labelled the "wet" bin.

Will the Minister comment on the watchdog that was established at the time? He will recall that Fianna Fáil brought forward a proposal in Private Members' time to establish a more comprehensive method of ensuring value for money would be achieved across the sector, but it was rejected at the time. There was also the idea of having a waste regulator in place. The Minister set up a watchdog, but one of the agencies that was going to be central to it - the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission - chose not to be part of it. Will the Minister indicate the current status?