Bernard Allen (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)

I have heard enough to know the Minister is putting the cart before the horse. He is admitting in the Dáil that he expects local authorities to produce a waste management plan, yet no national waste management plan exists. Would the Minister agree that it is highly negligent to involve himself in very expensive advertising campaigns on television and radio, when people cannot implement the composting, recycling or minimisation of waste due to a lack of facilities? People are on a guilt trip over domestic waste and at the same time the Minister has no national waste management plan.

Has he a secret plan to introduce incineration rather than to reduce, recycle or compost waste? Is incineration at Ringaskiddy and in County Meath a fact now and is he proceeding to introduce incineration into Ringsend? Is the Minister implementing a secret plan by stealth? He continues to lecture local authorities about their lack of plans but will he come clean and inform the House of his national plan for waste management?

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