Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)

The legislative provisions in relation to the waste facility levy were deleted from the Environment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2011 during its passage through the Oireachtas in order to avoid a situation of non-compliance with the EU waste framework directive which I transposed by Regulations at the end of March 2011.

If the levy, as proposed in the previous Government's Environment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2011, had been proceeded with, the same levy system as applies to a disposal activity such as landfill would have applied to waste to energy plants which achieve recovery status. This would be contrary to the waste hierarchy as set out in Article 4 of the waste framework directive and would be inconsistent with the need to make significant further early progress to reduce the almost two-thirds of municipal waste still going to landfill in Ireland and to meet the challenging requirements of the EU landfill directive.

While the issue of appropriate waste infrastructure is in the first instance a matter for determination by local authorities through their regional waste management plans, it is necessary that the appropriate range of infrastructure is available to treat the waste we generate. That process of infrastructural diversification must be guided, not by a fixation in favour of or against any particular process or technology but by adherence to the internationally recognised and respected waste hierarchy. This will be reflected in the new national waste policy which I intend to complete by the end of the year.

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