Michael Brennan (Progressive Democrats)

I welcome the Minister of State to this House. My party colleague, Senator Dardis, outlined our views on waste management. I commend the Government on the progress made towards ending the discharge of untreated sewage from cities and towns, providing projects for secondary treatment and meeting the requirements of the urban waste water directive.

This week, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Roche, approved funding of €8.5 million for a unique design, build and operate contract which will see new state-of-the art water treatment plants at 33 locations in six counties. I am not concerned about the provision of resources for waste management but about the spending of those resources. It was reported last weekend that, because of concerns that capital spending was running behind schedule, the Minister for Finance, Deputy Cowen, instructed Ministers to ensure Departments spend their budgets.

I am aware that the Minister, Deputy Roche, has already pressed local authorities to begin construction of the schemes approved under the Water Services Investment Programme 2005-07. Red tape has been cut in the area of water and sewerage schemes and the same should be the case for the waste management plans adopted at regional level because many communities await the approval of these works with anxiety. The Minister can announce schemes and provide the necessary funds but local authorities, which are controlled by parties across this House, must implement them. Many Senators have outlined the need for education and facilities to improve waste management and local authorities have a critical role to play in this regard. We should also commend the community initiatives, such as the Tidy Towns competition, which involve co-operative efforts by volunteers, Department and local authority officials and schools to turn our towns into places of which we can be proud.

Waste management charges represent a substantial portion of the weekly income of old age pensioners. I urge the Minister for Social and Family Affairs to investigate whether a scheme can be introduced to alleviate this problem.