Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)

Only a small amount of it has come back out. The 15 cent levy on plastic bags has been very successful. All this money should have been channelled out, including extra funding. Local authorities are strapped for cash and cannot make progress, yet the Minister had the audacity on Second Stage to blame public representatives for a lack of recycling facilities and a proper waste management system throughout the country. It is as a result of a lack of funding. The Minister is now handing over responsibility to county managers who will impose hefty penalties on the public. In light of what the Minister has said, he will call them in and demand this.