Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)

We are working effectively with various sectors of business to secure major advances in the recovery of particular waste streams. The EPA reported last year that Ireland achieved its 25% target for the recovery of packaging waste in 2001 and Repak indicates that good progress continues to be made towards the 50% target for 2005. We will achieve this. The recovery of construction and demolition wastes and farm plastics is also surging ahead and the successful producer responsibility model will soon be rolled out to other waste streams.

Driven by a policy objective set by the Government, major progress has also been made on the introduction of use-based charging for waste. As the House will be aware, I announced recently that 1 January 2005 has been set as the date for the completion of the changeover to these systems nationwide, providing a real incentive to householders to recycle more and more of their waste.

We hear much talk about illegal waste activities from many quarters. When it comes to enforcement of the law on waste, my focus has been on actions rather than words, actions such as the establishment of a new Office of Environmental Enforcement within the Environmental Protection Agency, with waste as its top priority.

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