Mr. Paul McDonald:

To reply to Senator Lombard, I referred a number of times to the figure for the rollover. That was just to illustrate a point.

I do not believe the Senator, in referring to the rates of 80% and 100%, is dealing with exactly the same things because there is confusing input into the equation concerning the time farmers may take before disposal. However, I fully take the point on whether the rate, at some stage, goes over 100%. It may well have done. I cannot say definitively whether it did but, considering the figures for what has been collected through the scheme and what some of the private operators may have collected, the amount in question well have been exceeded at some point in the year. Again, however, it is something of a matter of mathematical confusion. I was making my point just to illustrate that it is not quite as clearcut as it might seem.

On the point made on the discrepancy in the evidence given by Mr. Moloney and Mr. Walker, it certainly jumped out at me that there is a discrepancy. We will certainly take that up. I would be happy to revert to the committee to clarify how it might be rectified.

The stockpiling issue has come up relatively recently. Regarding the problem concerning private contractors who had engaged in the practice, it is only relatively recently that we have become aware of stockpiling. As Mr. Moloney said earlier, there may be stockpiles in some of the IFFPG facilities. These are checked regularly by local authorities and so on and meet the standards so I do not believe they would pose an environmental threat. That may well not be the case in other instances. We will have to address that through our colleagues in the local authority sector. We are aware of one stockpile that has been subject to a judicial process, in Waterford. I believe there are over 5,000 tonnes involved. The onus for dealing with the stockpiles rests primarily and initially with the private contractors. It is their responsibility. They would have committed to it under the terms of their waste permits.

To return to Deputy Flaherty, I am more than happy to engage on an ongoing basis with the committee on this. This is an issue that has gained a lot of prominence recently. We are happy to monitor it through our engagement with the system operator in the first instance and also with our colleagues in the local authority sector who look after the enforcement side. The issue has a degree of prominence in the Department and this will continue. I am more than happy to keep the committee apprised of our progress on that.