Cyprian Brady (Fianna Fail)

I, too, welcome the Minister of State to the House and the opportunity to debate waste management. Other Senators have pointed out that it affects everybody, regardless of their age, profession or location. The management of what we produce as consumers must be taken extremely seriously.

I recently visited the headquarters of the Environmental Protection Agency in Johnstown Castle in Wexford. I congratulate Dr. Mary Kelly and her crew on playing a considerable role in controlling our waste and pollution in general. The agency has a crucial role in the licensing of all major landfill and disposal sites. That the agency's staff are discussing issues that arise with community representatives is to be welcomed greatly.

In the not too distant past, I examined some of our recycling statistics and noted that we had a recycling rate of 7.4% in 1993. The Minister of State outlined the current percentages, which can only be regarded as representing progress. We have made great strides legislatively over recent years and the Department must be congratulated on these. The current and preceding Governments have done a lot in the past ten years to tackle the issue of waste management.

Local authorities play a considerable role in waste management and waste management plans are crucial in enforcing legislation that is introduced. Dublin City Council is extremely proactive and has a very good grasp of what is needed in the city. There are very significant issues to be addressed. It is not just in the back lanes and by-lanes in rural areas that fly-dumping is practised — it is also evident in the city. Plastic bags are dumped in laneways, as are sofas and beds, but the council is tackling this problem.

Until the passage of the Waste Management Act 1996, we had not defined "waste". The Act represented the first serious attempt to do so.

It always amazes me that the economic benefits of recycling are not taken seriously. Companies in the United States that recycle tyres comprise a huge and very profitable industry. Sunflower Recycling, a company in North Strand in my constituency, employs people profitably to collect waste. They are employed full-time and as part of community employment schemes.

I was very happy to hear the Minister of State talk about the market development group, which is crucial to the future of waste management. As Senator Ulick Burke stated, we must determine how we can get private concerns to become involved in wholesale recycling.

A number of different programmes, from Changing our Ways to the present one, have been launched over the years and have proved to be very successful. Strategic and sustainable waste management plans are needed and many of the initiatives of the Department over recent years have been very sustainable. This debate is all about looking to the future.

One of the major debates at the Joint Committee on Environment and Local Government concerned the disposal of electronic and electrical items. This has proved to be extremely successful. The WEEE directive had to be implemented and Ireland was one of the first countries in Europe to do so fully. The polluter pays principle is the main plank of much of our legislation and the producer take-back scheme is proving very successful.

We have come a long way in dealing with hazardous waste and have a high rate of recovery, but we need to consider the matter further. Some years ago the Oireachtas committee visited a thermal treatment plant in the middle of a residential and business area in a large city in Switzerland. The plant was thermally treating hazardous chemicals such as paint and turpentine very successfully. Its technology was the most modern available and it was supplying approximately 40% of the locality's heating and electricity needs. The technology exists and it is up to us to take advantage of it.

The debate on incineration will continue no matter what happens and we must adopt a strong, pragmatic approach to it. Much progress has been made in this regard. The rate of disposal of construction and demolition waste is now 85%. In Dublin city, where there has been significant development of apartments, etc., over recent years, waste disposal is a major issue. We have built up expertise and it can be built up further in the areas I have mentioned. We aim to reuse and recover 95% of end-of-life vehicles by 2015 and are well on the way to doing so.

I congratulate the Minister. Waste management affects everybody, regardless of where they come from, and we are well on the way to playing our part. If the Government continues as it is doing, we will be very successful.