Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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I have a few other issues. The first relates to the use of landfill in the disposal of waste. We were told there are three landfill sites in the country, one in Kildare, one in Meath and one in Wicklow. In addition, we have the incinerator. That is it. The principle is that waste is supposed to be dealt with as close as possible to where it is created. However, the east coast is receiving most of the national waste. The waste is collected in Kerry, Mayo, Donegal or wherever, baled and shipped east, which seems like an incredible way of dealing with waste. Capacity at the landfill site in Wicklow will be exhausted by 2026. There was an extension because we were on a knife edge and use of the site has been extended to 2026. The one in Meath has eight years left. The one in Kildare has three and a half years left, based on the current planning permission.

However, a planning application has been made for the next 35 years. There is no compensation for road damage, for example, resulting from the very heavy loads that are being transported. Apart from anything else, that is far from ideal. We need to go back to the Department and ask is what is the plan. Is that it in the context of traffic congestion into Ringsend? I know there was a previous planning application. I refer to the site in Kildare. It is down to individuals who live nearby to mount challenges in respect of the impact on the quality of their lives by virtue of the fact that these are essentially the central repository for waste nationally. I know this is not an issue for the Committee of Public Accounts but it is a departmental issue. We need to go back and ask the Department what exactly is the plan into the future. Is what is being described here the plan for the future or how does it expect waste will be dealt with?