Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Lawless for raising this issue with me. Waste management planning is the responsibility of local authorities under Part II of the Waste Management Act 1996. In this regard, waste management plans for the Connacht-Ulster, eastern midlands and southern regions were made in May 2015. In brief, the plans comprehensively set out clear strategies, policies and actions to address, inter alia, the prevention, generation, collection and management of waste in the State for the period 2015 to 2021. The development and implementation of the plans will give effect to national and EU waste management policies and legislation. I am precluded under section 60(3) of the Waste Management Act 1996 from the exercise of any power or control in relation to the performance by a local authority in particular circumstances of a statutory function vested in it under the Act.

Waste capacity developments, including any future potential pinch points and the coming on stream of additional capacity, are kept under constant review by the three regional waste management planning offices in consultation with industry and other waste regulatory bodies, including my Department. In line with Government policy, the management of waste in the State generally is continuing to move away from the disposal of waste at landfill. In 2011, the number of landfills which accepted waste for disposal stood at 21. Currently, there are four landfills actively accepting waste around the country. The coming on stream of the Dublin waste-to-energy plant at Poolbeg next year will be another significant development in terms of how we manage our waste in the State. Regulatory authorities and waste operators will continue to engage to ensure that the sector has the capacity to deal appropriately with the waste we generate.

The waste management facility at Drehid is governed by waste management and all other applicable legislation, including the licence and planning permission attached to the site. The facility in question operates under an industrial-emissions licence granted by the Environmental Protection Agency. The monitoring and enforcement of conditions attaching to the industrial-emissions licence is a matter for the EPA. All documents relating to individual licences, including inspection information, are available to view on the EPA's website at www.epa.ie. Issues pertaining to planning legislation, including matters regarding traffic management, do not fall under my remit as Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment.

The big issue here is a capacity issue nationally in relation to waste. That is why we are actively engaging on ways to reduce the volumes of waste going into landfill. That is why we are actively trying to encourage people to segregate their waste into brown bins for biorecycling or composting, blue or green bins in relation to recyclables and into the black bins. A significant level of segregation again takes place in relation to black bins before waste goes into landfill. I encourage people to segregate their waste properly, which would reduce the volumes going into landfill. As we are in reuse month, I encourage people to reuse goods. Rather than to use the likes of disposable cups, I ask people to use mugs and reusable cutlery and cups. I say the same in relation to goods which can be reused for another purpose and up-cycled. Instead of disposing of computers, they could be sent for specific recycling whereby they can be used in the developing world.

There are major opportunities to create employment and reduce the volumes of materials going into landfill. That is the long-term sensible solution to address the overall problem we have in regard to landfill.

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