Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail)

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. This Adjournment matter is self-explanatory and arises from a "Prime Time Investigates" television programme that was broadcast some weeks ago and to which I referred in the House on the Order of Business the following day. I reiterate my admiration for and compliments to the programme makers and again note that this programme was yet another fine example of public service broadcasting in the finest tradition of that genre. The programme dealt with what is becoming an increasingly difficult problem. While I have focused my request on establishing the nature and extent of the problem and on what efforts are being made to resolve it among the State forests, there is a much wider issue in this regard. According to the aforementioned programme, it is estimated that approximately 4 million tyres are produced in this country and that the number of worn tyres now available for recycling runs into millions. I emphasise there are a licensed operators which ensure worn tyres are sent for recycling. However, rogue operators are operating without local licences. In some instances, they con people into believing they have licences, collect their worn tyres from various depots and then dump them. In this instance and for the purposes of this Adjournment debate, they dump them in State forests.

While State forests make a major contribution to the economy by virtue of their original purpose, they also have widened their mandate in recent decades in that Coillte now is integrated into the wider area of tourism. It works with Fáilte Ireland and other tourism and local authorities by providing walkways. In my native county of Leitrim, Glencar waterfall, which is deemed to be an iconic attraction in the north west, is developing greater and better access with the financial support of Leitrim County Council, Fáilte Ireland and Coillte. Consequently, this is not simply an important question on the illegal dumping of worn tyres but also pertains to the adverse impact this is having on the countryside and, in particular, on the image it portrays to visitors to State forests, which in all their glory should not be obliged to contend with such despoiling of the environment.

I understand from the aforementioned programme that the amount of money required to remove the tyres that have been dumped illegally runs into hundreds of millions of euro, which is quite unacceptable. Will the Minister of State outline the extent of the problem and how it is being addressed? How may the various local councils be encouraged to take a more proactive approach to ensure they track down and prosecute these illegal operators? The irony in all of this is that all tyres are recyclable and, therefore, there should be no problem in this regard. Consequently, there is an onus on the State agencies, the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and local authorities to wipe out this insidious activity that is despoiling the countryside.