Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)

I do not necessarily agree with the fact that it does, I just mention it. I will continue to provide significant general purpose grants to local authorities. It is a matter for the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to decide how he will allocate his funds. Amendments I am introducing today to give effect to the Aarhus convention will allow considerably more participation, openness and transparency in planning and other matters pertaining to local government. I am sure the Deputies welcome that. Ireland is the only country in the European Union that had not signed up to the Aarhus convention and these amendments will ensure that we do.

On the local government fund, under a protocol arrangement between my Department and the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport an annual allocation is made to the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport will decide how he will allocate that. The amendment will allow the payment from the local government fund to be spread around various other road categories. Those were the principal issues mentioned.

Deputy Catherine Murphy spoke about waste to recovery. If she is against waste to recovery she is against EU law. In addition if she is against waste to recovery, she is in favour of landfill. I would have thought she would have had enough landfill developments in her constituency and would not want any more. She is asking me to ignore waste to recovery and she wants more landfill to ensure that she has more difficulties for her local communities in Naas, Kerdiffstown and everywhere else. She wants the taxpayer to pick up the tab if we are in breach of the EU landfill directive in 2013. If that is what she wants at least she is honest about it, but I am trying to ensure that the taxpayers and her constituents in Kildare North by this process will engage more in waste to recovery rather than in landfill.

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