Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail)

I join with Senator O'Toole in commending the Minister for his announcement backdating the lower green motor tax to January. The story was carried in The Irish Times today. The Minister's viewpoint on all these issues is welcomed not only by Members of the Oireachtas but also by the public, including my own constituents. I commend the Minister for his positive thinking on new initiatives, ideas and methods of minimising waste as well as fulfilling our environmental protection commitments.

Waste management has emerged as one of the most challenging environmental issues facing the country in recent years. Modern lifestyles have resulted in a significant increase in the quantity and type of waste being produced, but we are faced with the problem of how to dispose of it. Traditionally, most waste was disposed of as landfill and we continue to depend on that disposal method. Due to new legislation, increased environmental concerns and a lack of suitable disposal sites, we are now turning correctly towards waste minimisation, recycling and composting as the chief means of dealing with waste.

Under the Waste Management Act 1996 local authorities are responsible for producing waste management plans in their areas. Such plans are proving to be both positive and workable, giving local councillors an input into the decision-making process for such issues. I suggest, however, that councillors should have more input into compiling those plans. In my own local authority, of which I was a member up to last August, the plan was enacted by the county manager with little input by elected councillors. While not wishing to run down the manager, I want to bring that point to the Minister's attention.

Waste prevention is a key priority of the Government's strategy to minimise the generation of unnecessary waste. A recent international report examined models of best international practice for waste prevention and how this might pertain to Ireland. The report also examined anticipated EU legislation, such as a review of the waste framework directive which proposes benchmarking and target-setting for waste prevention.

The national waste prevention programme, NWPP, is currently being reviewed by the EPA which is the lead agency in developing that programme. The local authority prevention demonstration programme is acknowledged as the agency's flagship under the NWPP for the local authority sector. It is specifically aimed at empowering local authorities to prevent waste in their areas. It will be interesting to see how that is achieved in each local authority area. Perhaps a league table could be drawn up which could be made available to elected councillors and Members of the Oireachtas so they can gauge the positive and negative elements involved. We should review them annually or biannually.

I welcome initiatives aimed at changing existing waste disposal practices by reducing unnecessary waste volumes, including food, plastics, farm waste and packaging materials. Such initiatives also encourage the reuse of such products.

We must focus on recycling as a pivotal element of waste management. In Ireland, we recycle approximately 35% to 40% of our waste, although the Minister may have more up-to-date figures. European, national and county targets have been set to increase and thus improve these figures. We have a number of challenging targets to meet in the coming years, including the diversion of 50% of waste from landfill, reducing the organic fraction of landfill waste by 65%, and reducing household waste by 35%.

I understand that Donegal County Council is currently recycling approximately 27% of waste in its area but that figure should be increased. Local authorities, such as Donegal County Council, should not merely focus on recycling in urban areas — they must also provide recycling bins and other such services to people in rural areas. That is one of the challenges to be faced.

Since August 2005, the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive, WEEE, has required producers to finance the collection, treatment, recovery and environmentally-sound disposal of such equipment. Civic amenity sites are generally being developed across the country on the basis of electoral areas but we should also provide more local collection facilities. While civic amenity sites are being opened, many people will not take the time to travel to such sites which could be 40 or 50 miles away in a rural area. Therefore fridges, freezers and computers are being dumped in bogland areas. This problem should be taken into consideration. While civic amenity sites represent a significant step forward, we must deal with the problem on a more localised basis. For example, contractors or the local authorities could engage in the collection of such waste at local level and feed it back into the civic amenity sites.

Senator O'Donovan referred to the importance of maintaining beaches and the coastline. As a person who lives in an area with an extensive coastline, I had reason recently to write to the Minister on the issue of beach environmental management. It is an issue that may come under the remit of more than one Department. I understand my constituency colleague, the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Deputy Coughlan, has some responsibility in this area and I have spoken to her about it.

The Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government should play an active role in encouraging local authorities to take responsibility for beach management. There is no evidence of such management in my constituency. It is important that beaches are maintained so that local people and tourists alike can enjoy this important amenity. It is also a question of protecting a natural resource. In Spain, Portugal and other European countries, the resources may not be readily available but the beach management plans are in place, including everything from lifeguards to litter bins, signage and so on. We must promote our beaches as the best in Europe, which they are.

I commend An Taisce on its proactive approach in introducing the green flag programme. Many schools are availing of the initiative as it is rolled out throughout the State. It is playing a vital role in educating the next generation on the importance of minimising waste and transferring from the traditional methods of treatment.