Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

The background to the decisions we made as regards BES and the seed capital scheme that was up for renewal was the Small Business Forum and much of the work it undertook under the chairmanship of Mr. Joe Macri. The forum came forward with very specific recommendations which were discussed with me and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. I was broadly supportive of the recommendations from that Department. We were anxious to facilitate the directing of capital funds and private capital to these specific areas of building and growing SMEs. It is in line with our industrial policy, makes eminent sense and was in line with the recommendations of groups set up for the purposes of advising Government as to how we might be able to assist small business in a whole range of areas. I am glad to say all those recommendations are in the process of being implemented.

What was put forward was an À la carte list of demands from every possible source. A very detailed internal dialogue took place within the Small Business Forum to focus on what specific strategic issues could be addressed by Government in assisting the forum to develop its businesses and propel the economy forward in terms of the supplying of products and services, while providing job creation opportunities for the future.

Deputy Boyle's amendment relates to one of the proposed changes being made to the BES and related seed capital schemes in section 19 of the Bill, whereby certain recycling activities are being brought within the scope of the schemes. It seeks to ensure that the end disposal of waste, in particular such as by way of incineration, will not qualify. As I pointed out, when responding to this proposal at the Select Committee on Finance and the Public Service, the activity mentioned in the amendment, that is, the end disposal of waste, and whether the disposal is done by way of incineration or otherwise, is outside the ambit of what is being provided for in section 19. The amendment is, in our opinion, therefore, unnecessary.

Section 19 spells out what the term "recycling activities in relation to waste material" means. A key requirement is that the waste material must be treated or processed in a way that results in the production of value-added material that is reusable. The section goes on to list various types of waste material that may be processed. The measure is specifically and solely targeted at recycling of waste and not its disposal. As I have indicated, it requires the recycling process to produce from the waste resultant material that is of more value and is capable of being reused. Waste disposal, obviously, cannot qualify.

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