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

There is a culture of strong and active co-operation on waste management issues between the relevant authorities on both sides of the Border. As I pointed out earlier, there are well established structures in existence that provide a forum to deal with a variety of cross-Border issues, and I have used these previously to highlight problems being faced by Border counties exposed to the consequences of environmental crime. I believe that the North-South Ministerial Council is the most appropriate forum to address the issues of concern from a waste perspective and I am more than happy to raise the matter at the next meeting of the council, should the Deputy have any further concerns.

I give Deputy Fitzpatrick a commitment that I will make contact with my counterpart. The difficulty is that I do not have a counterpart at the moment. I had a good working relationship with my counterparts over the six months that the North-South Ministerial Council was in place, and I look forward to working with them once the Government in Northern Ireland is re-established.

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