Paudie Coffey (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Finneran. However, I am disappointed that the Minister, Deputy Gormley, is not present to respond to this issue, although I understand he is probably on other business.

I raise the issue of the continued viability of waste recycling facilities with particular reference to the facility operated by Waterford County Council in Dungarvan. This facility has been in existence for almost five years and processes more than 13,000 tonnes of recyclable material per annum. The sold material produces an annual income of €550,000 which is reinvested in waste recycling services in Waterford. The facility processes recycled waste not only from the Waterford city and county council areas but also from the south Tipperary and Wexford local authority areas as well as other private waste streams.

I understand the destination markets for the high-quality product from this facility have dried up and that the brokers who were dealing with the local authority in identifying markets are no longer coming up with the goods. Produce was formerly sent to countries such as Indonesia and China. I am interested to discover the reasons these markets have folded. This problem is arising for private as well as public facilities and could put national recycling initiatives in jeopardy.

The Dungarvan facility cost more than €5 million to build and involved major investment by the local authority. Waterford County Council has received national awards for its initiative in establishing and operating this facility. The viability of the facility is now in doubt, which will have a knock-on effect on recycling services in all the local authority areas to which I referred. The income must be available to ensure recycling and collection routes remain viable. In the short term, because the destination markets no longer exist, much of this material must be stored by Waterford County Council, representing an added burden and overhead which will put the facility itself and the recycling routes in jeopardy.

I am interested to hear the views of the Minister, Deputy Gormley, on this issue and what he and his Department will do to assist local authorities in this regard. What is a regional issue could quickly become a national issue which may undo all the good work carried out by local authorities to develop recycling services and facilities. As a member of the Green Party, I am sure this is at the heart of the Minister's policy and interests. I hope he can ease the concerns in Waterford and nationally that recycling services will receive the resources and support they require to remain viable.