Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 96: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to statistics produced by the Environmental Protection Agency showing that a number of Ireland's recycling companies are dumping up to 60% of waste from some of their facilities into landfill sites; the steps he will take to deal with this situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22814/07]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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I have seen the newspaper report which appears to be the basis for this question. The report makes it clear that the data includes the landfilling of unsegregated municipal waste which cannot be recycled.

The most recent national waste report, published by the Environmental Protection Agency states that the recovery rate for municipal waste in 2005 was 34.6%. This was almost four times the equivalent figure for 1998, which was 9%. The recent media reports appear to suggest that waste management companies have reported even higher diversion rates to the EPA in respect of 2006 although this information is subject to analysis by the agency prior to publication. The national waste report 2006 will be published in early 2008 by the EPA. The ever-increasing recovery rates being reported by the agency would indicate that municipal waste presented for segregated collection by businesses and householders or collected through civic amenity sites is indeed being diverted from landfill.

I fully recognise that despite the improved national recycling performance we need to continue to improve our performance. The programme for Government commits us to establishing new ambitious waste management targets for maximum prevention, reuse and recycling with a view to ensuring that we match the best performance in the EU with the objective that only 10% or less is consigned to landfill as opposed to the current rate of 66%. The programme also provides for a comprehensive review of waste management planning which I have directed my Department to initiate. This review will ensure that our waste management plans reflect best international practice and that we have the policies and infrastructure to meet ambitious environmental objectives.

Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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The Minister is aware of the statistics which are referred to in the question but he has not stated the steps he intends taking. Many of the companies involved in sending as much as 60% of waste to landfill are the big waste companies such as Oxygen, Thornton and Panda. There is big money to be made by waste recycling companies who are enjoying huge profit margins as private companies are entitled to do. This Minister is a member of the Green Party and his policy should be that of the polluter pays but the Government of which he is a member is actually paying these companies to pollute.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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A question, please, Deputy Tuffy.

Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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This means that our targets for climate change are being obstructed because we continue to send waste to landfill and produce methane gas. How can a Green Party Minister stand over a policy which is basically paying private companies to pollute, especially when residents are doing the opposite?

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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The story on which the Deputy bases her information is incorrect. The issue is unsegregated waste. It could be inferred from the newspaper article that 40% of waste is now being recycled. It gave the impression that materials which could be recycled were going to landfill and this is not the case. This is the crucial point which I bring to the Deputy's attention and which she needs to understand.

On the question of the principle of the polluter pays, I accept this principle and it is a core issue for my party. We were always brave enough, when it came to making these decisions at local authority level, to say that waste charges were needed. The same cannot be said for the Deputy's party because I have direct experience of that where people——

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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The Minister should not be political in his comments.

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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I will not be political.

Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Some of the Minister's councillors voted against waste charges.

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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It is unfortunately the case. Consistency is required because the principle of the polluter pays actually works. We know now that more people are using the green bin. The waste to which Deputy Tuffy and I are referring is waste that goes into the grey or black bin.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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The Minister has one minute for answers to Other Questions and he has already taken up two minutes in this segment.

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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I will be happy to continue because there is an important point to be made.

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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I rise to support my colleague, Deputy Terence Flanagan. I do not believe the Department has grasped the importance or serious nature of this issue with regard to what is extracted from quarries and what goes into landfill and also into the infill under the foundations of houses. This is a significant issue affecting up to 30,000 homes. A working group is required on this issue, a point I ask the Minister to consider.

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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This is not related to the question in the name of Deputy Quinn. I addressed this issue in some detail in an Adjournment debate when the matter was raised by Deputy Broughan. I informed Deputy Broughan that I shared his concern. I wish to establish as quickly as possible the location of the use of this pyrite and whether it was used in other areas. It is an important matter but it is not related to this question.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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I will allow Deputy Tuffy a brief supplementary question.

Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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The Minister has given the House a rose-tinted version of what is being sent to landfill. He probably would not give this version if he were not the Minister.

The newspapers were reporting on the report of the EPA about this issue. Both the Minister and I know what goes into black bins and much of this is waste that could be recycled. In some counties, 93% of the municipal waste is sent to landfill. The residents do their part by segregating waste where the opportunity is provided to them but the Government, through the local authorities, is paying companies large sums of money to dump waste in landfill.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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I will allow Deputy Naughten a final rider on this question.

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Will the Minister take action regarding local authorities which make provision in county development plans for apartment blocks to have only two bins? Many parts of the country are providing additional recycling bins. What will the Minister do about it?

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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I was stopped short in my reply to Deputy Tuffy.

The black bag and the grey bin are very important. I believe we can do much better with regard to unsegregated waste by investing in MBT, mechanical biological treatment of waste. I had the opportunity to visit an excellent MBT plant in Austria. An MBT plant should be located at every landfill site. This is low technology rather than high technology. The waste is sorted and treated and the amount of waste can be substantially reduced. The most important point is that what goes into the landfill is then inert. This procedure takes about 12 weeks to allow the waste become inert and for the water content to be sufficiently low to avoid leachate. All metals can be removed. The most important factor in order to comply with the landfill directive is to deal with the biological fraction of the waste stream. That is why it is so important that brown bins be distributed. The local authorities must do that. It would make an enormous difference.

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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No provision is made in planning.

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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I will deal with the Deputy's point. There is a problem in two areas. One is apartment living and the other is with dispersed communities. We must deal with that issue. That is the reason I am setting up the review of waste management. Those two areas must be addressed, and I hope we will find a solution. However, the key to dealing with waste is having proper MBT facilities.