Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I have no comment on internal party matters in respect of the first issue. It is not referred to in the programme for Government and is not relevant to supplementary questions at all.

We are in favour of resource management in the area of waste management generally. The Minister has indicated his concerns about using a section 60 procedure regarding the prospect of capping levels of waste that go for incineration. That is a consultative process under EU directives. He has given his views on that matter individually and as Minister. Until the consultative process is completed, decisions taken by the Government will be taken in that context. To do otherwise would leave the Minister open to legal challenge, and that is something we wish to avoid. Part of the initiative undertaken by the Minister is related to the amount of waste that could be provided for incineration.

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