John Paul Phelan (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister, Deputy Roche, to the House to discuss this important issue. I am sure previous speakers have made some of the points I am about to make, but this is an opportune time for me to raise some matters.

The issue of illegal dumping is of particular interest to me. I attended a public meeting in Tullow, County Carlow, last weekend. A number of residents of that area asked me about the polluter pays principle. We all agree with the lofty and noble principle that those who are responsible for producing waste should foot the bill for its removal. Illegal dumping is getting out of control in many parts of the country, however. There is a considerable amount of State forestry in my local area and there has been a substantial increase in the level of illegal dumping in such wooded areas since Christmas. A great deal of the rise in such activity can be attributed to the dramatic increases in refuse collection charges in many local authority areas. This aspect of the matter has not been considered as part of the argument on the polluter pays principle. Something needs to be done as a matter of urgency to ensure that such activity, which is a blight on our landscape, is eradicated.

I am sure all Senators can name several places in their local areas where illegal dumping is a considerable problem. I do not suggest that it is an easy problem to solve, but certain actions can be taken. A national newspaper this week published a list of the names of organisations which have been fined for illegal dumping or littering. All local authorities need to take such action, sadly, to ensure that those who are convicted of illegal dumping are named and shamed, a phrase that has been used by Senator Leyden. That is the only way to ensure that the practice, which is having terrible effects on all parts of the country, including many scenic areas, can be stamped out as soon as possible.

During this debate on waste management, it is opportune to discuss the existing proposals for incinerators in various parts of the country. The projects have moved past the proposal stage in some places. The South-East Regional Authority has published a couple of reports on waste management. There are indications that incineration will be pursued, but I am not convinced it is the final solution to our waste problem. If we adopt that approach in every part of the country, we will remove a significant part of the incentive for people to reuse, recycle and reduce the waste they produce.

If incinerators are built in the various regions, I expect they will be managed by private companies in most cases. Such companies have a perfectly legitimate right to expect to earn a profit for what they do, but it is obvious they will be keen to burn as much waste as possible as part of the profit-making process. That is in direct contradiction of the policies of the Government and my party, which are keen to reduce the amount of waste being disposed of. It is difficult to square the two arguments. I urge the Government to show caution and restraint and to ensure all other options are exhausted before the option of incineration is pursued.

There has been a significant increase in recent years in the proportion of the waste produced in County Kilkenny that is recycled. Senators are aware there have been dramatic improvements throughout the country. In some cases, the percentage of waste that is recycled has increased from a base of 3% or 4%. The percentage of County Kilkenny's waste that is recycled has increased to 23% or 24% and continues to increase.

Many of the bring centres found throughout the country are unable to cope with the increase in recycling. While the Rehab Group and some other organisations are doing tremendous work, it seems that recycling is almost becoming a victim of its success in some parts of the country. The recycling bins used at bring centres are constantly full or overflowing. People often arrive at bring centres with cars full of segregated rubbish only to find that the recycling bins are full. They often leave bags of bottles and tin cans beside the bins, which is an open invitation to other unscrupulous people to dump bags of mixed household refuse in such locations. I encourage the operators of such centres to keep them in as good a condition as possible and to ensure that recycling bins are emptied often, so that people are not given an opportunity to engage in illegal dumping at such places.

I urge the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to bear in mind that any decision to pursue a policy of incineration would remove a significant part of the incentive, which has been developed successfully in recent years, to reduce the amount of waste produced by each household. I urge the Minister and the Department to think seriously about the matter before taking such a retrograde step.