Cyprian Brady (Fianna Fail)

Perhaps the most dramatic and noticeable development has been the high level of public awareness about the necessity of change. People understand the reason we are introducing waste management measures. Successive advertising and public information campaigns and initiatives such as the Green Flag for schools have generated environmental concerns, particularly among young people, whose future depends on our awareness of the environment.

Despite all the information provided and money spent in recent decades, 72% of our municipal waste continues to be sent to landfill. While the figure is falling — it declined by 4% in the past year — we must seek alternatives. As the Minister pointed out, we have invested in 1,800 bring banks and 60 civic amenity sites. I have experienced a major change in my constituency where the North Strand Road recycling centre was forced to restrict its opening hours because the queues of people trying to get to the centre were interfering with the lives of local residents and causing traffic jams on the road.

All these developments, the results of policies pursued in the past ten years, are paying significant dividends. We must plan ahead, however. The current policy objective is to achieve 40% recycling, 40% thermal treatment and 20% landfill. Even with thermal treatment, landfill will continue to be required because we cannot burn everything. I understand, for example, that 10% of waste must be disposed of in landfill facilities. One cannot argue that there is only one solution. All options must be used and we must have a comprehensive framework for waste management.

The regional waste management plans are proving to be highly successful and provide an integrated approach with set, monitored targets. They will provide for sustainable waste management infrastructure which is crucial because we must sustain changes in future.

I recall the previous Minister, Deputy Cullen, citing the fact that more dioxins are released into the atmosphere on Hallowe'en night than would be released in one year by the number of incinerators proposed.