Terry Brennan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I agree with the statements of Senators on the other side of the fence that it is a futile exercise to have a debate on Aer Lingus this afternoon after the decision has been made. It should happen sooner, if at all possible. I encourage the Leader to fit in an hour and cancel what is already on the programme to discuss it. Whether we can make a difference is another matter.

From 1 July new household food waste regulations will come into existence. These require that food waste be segregated from other waste and no longer placed in the black bin. Once segregated, food waste must either be subjected to a home composting process, which would save householders' money, or brought to an authorised treatment facility run by county councils. It is a significant change and I am calling for a debate on this. Many landfill sites throughout the country have, thankfully, been closed down. Where landfill sites still exist less is being deposited in them. I am concerned about what will happen to sites that have been closed for years. Are there proposals to use some of them for "gasification", a word used here yesterday by my colleague from Limerick? An urgent debate is required as soon as possible to alleviate people’s fears because this is a big change for householders and businesses.