Paudie Coffey (Fine Gael)

I thank the Minister of State for his response. There is confirmation tonight that waste management in this country is a serious matter. I am glad the Minister and his Department are giving the matter the attention it deserves. We do not want a national waste management crisis at this time.

I do not think that stockpiling of the waste produced by facilities such as the one in Dungarvan is a sustainable answer or solution in the short term. It is questionable whether incineration in other lands will be, as stated by the Minister, marked as recovery. This flies in the face of the theory and principle of recycling and re-use. The facility concerned is producing high quality recycled paper and plastics. This issue must be addressed.

It is essential that the Minister and his Department give this matter their full attention until a proper and adequate solution is found.