Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)

I am sorry the same old answer has come from the Department. I accept that much has changed since this project was conceived 15 years ago. We are in a period of review. The local authorities cannot be allowed to run on this issue. Much has changed. The Environmental Protection Agency's report on the waste market shows the national waste recycling rate is 40%. It is 46% in the Dublin region. Since 2009, the volume of waste going to landfill has decreased by 13%. It is estimated that there is enough landfill capacity for 12 years. Therefore, no urgency is associated with the Poolbeg incinerator. Equally, the required volume to feed it is not available. Over 650,000 tonnes of private waste recovery infrastructure has come on line in the last two or three years. That exceeds the tonnage of the Poolbeg project.

According to the SLR Consulting report that was compiled on behalf of the Irish Waste Management Association, we will comfortably reach our 2013 and 2016 targets for the diversion of biodegradable waste from landfill. The argument that has always been made is that we will not be able to reach our targets and will therefore face enormous European Union fines. The opposite is the case. We are reaching our targets comfortably. We have rolled out brown bins to 50% of households in Dublin. The national rate of recovery of such waste increased by 3% in 2011. Approximately 900,000 tonnes of waste that currently goes to landfill is capable of being composted. A much better use of money would be to encourage re-use, rather than incineration.

If we have to face EU fines, as we are always being warned about, they will be dwarfed by the substantial and unnecessary waste of money on the Poolbeg project and by the fines that will potentially result from the pay-out clause. I remind the Minister of State that the Hennessy report suggested that the fines could amount to up to €350 million. It is clear that private waste contractors will challenge any attempt to place the ownership of the waste stream in the hands of the council. In every place where side-by-side competition has been replaced by tendered routes, it has resulted in a less efficient and more expensive service for our home owners. We are constantly getting set-piece answers from the Department. I ask the Minister of State to re-examine the figures. We are opening up a huge potential cost to the taxpayer at a time when money is tight.

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