Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)

——and the Netherlands have reduced their waste to landfill dramatically, down towards the 10% mark, but they depend on incineration. Likewise in Canberra, where there was an impressive start, the reality is that we do not hear much of the fuss today. There are no magic solutions or magic bullets. We must look elsewhere for solutions to the real problems. Instead of trawling for obscure experiments from the far side of the world, we should look closer to home. The world's most environmentally advanced countries are fellow member states of the European Union. They operate under the same regulatory regime as we do. They have succeeded in combining high rates of recycling with safe and effective us of thermal treatment. Why do we not follow their example? Why is political leadership in this country prepared to suggest falsely that there is an alternative?

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