Seanad debates

Wednesday, 17 May 2006

11:00 am

Photo of Batt O'KeeffeBatt O'Keeffe (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the House for this opportunity to address Members. This is an extremely important topic and one of major concern to all of the stakeholders involved, be it the Government, the wider political system, the statutory authorities, the waste management industry or the general public. Waste management is truly a collective, shared responsibility which requires a significant degree of consensus if we are to achieve progress on the different issues and challenges that face us as a society. That type of collective approach has underpinned policy on waste management for several years.

Waste management has been at the top of the Government's agenda going all the way back to 1998 when the aptly named Changing Our Ways policy document was published, which was followed by Delivering Change in 2002 and Taking Stock and Moving Forward in 2004. This policy cycle was completed recently with the publication of a national strategy on biodegradable waste, which charts a ten-year strategy for the diversion of this waste from landfill. All these policy documents are grounded on an integrated approach that follows the internationally accepted waste management hierarchy. This prioritises waste prevention and minimisation, followed by reuse and recycling, recovery and, finally, safe disposal.

Policy, good planning and comprehensive legislation are the bedrock of any effective waste management system. We have set out our stall in terms of policy in the documents to which I referred, which are a good example of the Government's joined up thinking on this complex and diverse issue. In regard to waste planning, the system of regional waste management plans is well established. Most regions have completed their five-year reviews and have adopted their revised plans. These will provide the statutory basis for the meeting of waste management needs on a regional basis and I welcome the fact that this revision process is now all but complete.

At the heart of these plans is the need to ensure that the necessary infrastructure is in place to manage our waste in accordance with national and EU policy. We are all aware of the difficulties that have been experienced in delivering infrastructure in key sectors. I welcome the fact that significant thermal treatment and landfill projects are now being progressed. It is particularly essential that we have in place the waste to energy plants necessary to ensure we can progressively divert waste away from landfill.

While this type of heavy infrastructure is properly funded from user charges in accordance with the polluter pays principle, my Department is active in grant aiding local authority recycling facilities. Some €90 million has been committed since 2002 and communities right around the country are seeing the benefit and helping us meet our ambitious recycling targets. There are, however, those who persist in disposing of their waste illegally. Local authorities and the Office of Environmental Enforcement have been taking a robust approach to such criminal activity and I stress the word "criminal", on which I commend them. The requirement that most households must meet the cost of dealing with their waste is no excuse for this type of behaviour and it will not be tolerated.

We have a comprehensive waste code in place and we have been rolling out new legislation to implement EU directives on producer responsibility initiatives. Last year saw the introduction of new regulations for the EU directive on waste electrical and electronic equipment and work is nearing completion to transpose and implement an EU directive on end-of-life vehicles. We have also been running an effective Race Against Waste campaign over the past three years, which is contributing in a major way to increasing public awareness of the waste issue but, more importantly, to persuading people to integrate this new consciousness into their daily lives.

All these policies have borne fruit and it is instructive to mention a few key statistics which neatly illustrate how much we are changing our ways. In 1998 we were at the back of the class with an overall recycling rate of only 9%, this had risen to 34% by 2004, only one point short of our national target set for 2013; our recycling of packaging waste over the same period rose from 15% to 56%; construction and demolition recycling is at a high of 85%; and landfilling generally has fallen by 9% in four years, even in spite of the massive economic activity that is taking place.

The waste electrical recycling scheme, which commenced in August 2005, has been successful. Ireland was only one of a handful of countries to fully implement this EU directive on time and its successful implementation has led to a fourfold increase in the level of recycling of this important and hazardous waste stream.

The continued roll out of segregated kerbside collection of dry recyclables — over half a million households now have this service — followed by the introduction of a brown bin service in built up areas to collect compostable waste, the expanding network of local authority civic amenity sites and the added recycling dividend from existing and new producer funded schemes, will all help to drive us on to greater success.

I stress that we must not become complacent. Formidable challenges remain and an equally formidable range of resources and policy tools supported by a strong commitment from all the stakeholders involved will be needed. The new strategy on biodegradable waste is a case in point. Almost three quarters of waste going to landfill is made up of biodegradable waste. It includes garden and kitchen waste, wood, paper, textiles and the like. The strategy targets an 80% diversion, or 1.8 million tonnes, of projected biodegradable municipal waste arising from landfill by 2016, up from the current 32.6% diversion or 630,000 tonnes, which is a considerable challenge. An innovative aspect of the strategy is the introduction of national waste prevention targets which will rise gradually from 2% to 6% from now to 2016.

Market development measures are required to ensure there are outlets for the products derived from waste diverted from landfill. The group will later this year publish a national market development programme. The waste market generally has undergone rapid and radical transformation in recent years. We now have a vibrant, growing and responsible private waste industry working alongside the local authorities. This has inevitably raised issues about how this new market should be regulated. We need to ensure that a proper level of transparency exists as to how prices are set in the sector and achieve a level playing field in terms of competition between service providers. My colleague, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Roche, has been considering these matters and will shortly bring proposals to Government.

Before concluding, I want again to express my appreciation for the opportunity to address the House today. I have outlined, in a broad sense, the current state of play in terms of waste management in Ireland and I hope I have demonstrated to Senators that with policies, plans and legislation now well embedded, work on the critical area of implementation is proceeding apace on a number of fronts.

As I mentioned at the outset, waste is a collective responsibility and it requires collectively-based solutions. From my point of view and that of the Government, leadership, drive and determination will continue to be needed if we are to continue to transform waste management in Ireland. We are well on the way towards achieving what a new EU strategy on waste prevention and recycling has as its underpinning principle — the transformation of Europe into a recycling society. We in Ireland are on the way to becoming such a society. We have the right policies in place. We need to drive ahead now to ensure that we will be playing in the premiership of top recycling nations. I welcome the House's interest in the process and look forward to hearing the valuable views of Members. All policy benefits from informed discussion and I am sure this debate will be just that — informative and beneficial to us in Government.

Photo of James BannonJames Bannon (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe, to the House to debate the very important issue of waste management.

Urban and rural areas of the country are choking on waste. It is imperative that the Government finally takes responsibility for its actions and ensures that our environment is handed on to future generations intact and enhanced. The issue of farm plastic raises questions as to the Government's commitment to the effective disposal and recycling of rapidly increasing business generated waste. It is totally unacceptable that the Government is washing its hands of the issue of farm plastic, especially when it has turned a blind eye to the importing of this material from Northern Ireland, which is not liable to the recycling levy.

The importation of plastic from the North has totally undermined the scheme here and the Government must now take action to address this problem. Farmers have already paid up front for this service and are bearing the brunt of the Minister's mismanagement of this particular issue. There is a vast tonnage of plastic still uncollected on farms, even though more than €3 million has been paid for its collection by farmers. This plastic, used for storing silage during winter months is building up throughout the country, creating a 23,000 tonne environmental time bomb and in many cases jeopardising farmers' REPS plans. Farmers at my clinic in Longford and throughout the constituency every other week criticise the Government for its inaction.

John Dardis (Progressive Democrats)
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They do not want to make silage, so they put plastic on top of it.

Photo of James BannonJames Bannon (Fine Gael)
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They are furious at the manner in which the Government has ripped them off as regards charging a levy and then failing to provide the facilities to collect waste. Senator Dardis is well aware of the position.

John Dardis (Progressive Democrats)
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If they could not bring it in from Northern Ireland, they would be whinging.

Photo of James BannonJames Bannon (Fine Gael)
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The Senator should go and speak to farmers in any part of the county. He is somewhat removed from the farming community in recent years.

John Dardis (Progressive Democrats)
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I am not.

Photo of James BannonJames Bannon (Fine Gael)
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He does not have his finger on the pulse like I have or he would know the situation in rural Ireland. In 2005, some 3,000 tonnes of plastic waste were left uncollected on farms, despite the fact that farmers had paid a levy for its collection. When this is included with the farm plastic, which is illegally imported into the country — an estimated 30% of the total — and sold to unknowing farmers, it means the total volume of uncollected plastic over a two-year period has reached 23,000 tonnes. Farmers have paid levies of €1.27 million to the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government for the collection of plastic waste and a further €1.6 million on illegally imported plastic, which has not been returned to the State. Due to the Minister's gross incompetence in turning a blind eye to the importation of illegal farm plastic, the whole recycling scheme has collapsed. The hard pressed farmers pay, yet again. They have been held to ransom and have had their livelihoods threatened over and over by the Minister, Deputy Roche. They are now expected to pay an additional €2.3 million to get the plastic collected.

The Department must fund and establish collection points for the recycling of farm plastic through local authorities. This should be co-ordinated with the current processors of farm plastic to ensure that material does not build up further.

As regards the nitrates directive, I have described the Minister, Deputy Roche, as "the grim reaper of Irish farming".

John Dardis (Progressive Democrats)
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Oh my goodness.

Photo of James BannonJames Bannon (Fine Gael)
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His aim, and indeed that of the Government, seems to be the destruction of Irish farming, for which they could yet be single-handedly responsible. That may be said of several Ministers.

John Dardis (Progressive Democrats)
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Fine Gael will have talked them out of business well before that ever happens.

Photo of James BannonJames Bannon (Fine Gael)
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Senator Dardis gets angry when it hurts.

Photo of Batt O'KeeffeBatt O'Keeffe (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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They are telling lies.

John Dardis (Progressive Democrats)
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Deputy Hayes got his answer in the Dáil from the Commissioner.

Photo of James BannonJames Bannon (Fine Gael)
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Farmers need the support of a strong Government, and Fine Gael will provide that.

John Dardis (Progressive Democrats)
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With the Green Party and the Independents.

Photo of James BannonJames Bannon (Fine Gael)
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Our farmers need the protection of a strong Government. They are certainly not getting it from Fianna Fáil or the PDs.

Photo of Batt O'KeeffeBatt O'Keeffe (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Just imagine the colours — green, red and blue. What a concoction.

12:00 pm

Photo of James BannonJames Bannon (Fine Gael)
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Waste facilities throughout the country are not up to scratch, with a lack of emphasis on recycling and problems arisingwith refuse collection and private wastefacilities. Changing Our Ways of September 1998 set out the broad policy approach to waste management in Ireland: "Policy is based on the integrated approach, based on the international recognised waste management hierarchy of prevention/minimisation, significantly increased levels of recycling, energy recovery and finally, utilising landfill as the last resort for residual waste that cannot otherwise be recovered."

Reduced reliance on landfill is a key policy priority and to that end a range of ambitious targets was set for delivery over a 15-year period involving: a diversion of 50% of overall household waste away from landfill; a minimum 65% reduction of biodegradable waste consigned to landfill; recycling of 35% of municipal waste; and recycling 85% of construction and demolition waste with an interim target of 50% recycling by 2003.

I stood in this Chamber last year and said that Ireland's record on recycling was deplorable by European standards. We recycle less than 8% of our household waste compared to 46% in Austria, 44% in Holland, 40% in Belgium and 30% in Denmark. Already our landfill is at 86% capacity.

So much for aspirations. There is a total lack of political will in Government to drive the environmental agenda forward. We are faced with the shocking fact that almost 70% of Ireland's recyclable waste is exported. Private sector environmental service companies are currently gearing up to invest €1 billion in developing the structures necessary to cope with the country's growing waste problem. Local authorities through the country are finalising waste management plans with businesses to provide most of the services. Local authorities outside Dublin are likely to rely heavily on private sector involvement and will contract most of their services to waste management companies. This was pointed out to us in the recent presentations by local authorities to the Joint Committee on Environment and Local Government. These services will include bottle banks, green waste facilities — sorting, recycling and other treatment and civic amenity centres. Biological treatment for waste water, sewage and waste will require considerable outlay, as will recycling related services such as materials recovery facilities.

Fine Gael policy is to extend the rate of recycling to European standards before considering incineration. Along with my colleague, Deputy O'Dowd, I support an alternative policy based on recycling. The State currently recycles less than 8% of waste, which is well below European levels. When in Government, Fine Gael will have a target of recycling 50% of household waste.

Figures published by the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, in March of this year have shown that after two years of decline, Ireland's greenhouse gas emissions have climbed by 0.15% to the equivalent of 68.46 tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2004. Electricity generation accounts for the bulk of the 23.2% of Ireland's greenhouse gas emissions, which points the finger at the State-owned ESB which produces more greenhouse gases than all other Irish companies put together. Moneypoint power plant, which is coal-powered, and the peat burning electricity plants are the main offenders.

Under the 1997 Kyoto Protocol on climate change, Ireland is supposed to restrict its greenhouse gas emissions to 113% of its 1990 level between the years 2008-11. Based on the efforts of the Government to rectify the problem, we will be nowhere near achieving this target.

Of particular concern in terms of waste management is the newspaper and magazine mountain which looks set for volcanic eruption. Unsold paper items account for 113,000 tonnes of waste annually. To put this in context, approximately 96,000 tonnes of cars go into the end-of-life scrap scheme annually. Retailers are forced, as part of their supply arrangements, to accept boxed-out unsolicited magazines. For years, the Irish Retail Newsagents Association, IRNA, has been campaigning on the unfairness of this arrangement but the Minister, Deputy Roche, has failed yet again to find a solution to a major environmental problem. An agreement needs to be brokered between the retailers, publisher, printers, wholesalers and the IRNA.

Unless a recycling charge is applied at the print run stage or a full copy returns policy is allowed then the issue of box-outs and unsolicited titles will remain a problem. With 4,300 different newspaper and magazine titles available on the Irish market it is essential that the Minister takes the matter seriously. It must be given the same priority as the car scrappage problem.

Fine Gael recognises that something must be done about Ireland's waste management problem but, unfortunately, the Government does not. Only a handful of the 46 waste management facilities in the national development plan have been built. We have a severe lack of sites, which is pushing up the cost of waste disposal. The average cost of sending something to landfill in Ireland is €180. Waste mismanagement will be the legacy of this Government. Its "live for today and squander money and resources" mode of operation will be felt for generations to come.

We want action, not cheap talk on this issue. I urge the Minister of State, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe, to listen to the people in rural areas and constituencies. People are fed up with the manner in which the Government is mismanaging the issue of waste disposal. One only has to drive up to Dublin——

Photo of Batt O'KeeffeBatt O'Keeffe (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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That is why Fine Gael is so high in the polls at the moment.

Photo of James BannonJames Bannon (Fine Gael)
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——via the motorway to witness the amount of litter strewn around. The same is true of any county road, back road or cul-de-sac.

John Dardis (Progressive Democrats)
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How does Senator Bannon propose to stop that?

Photo of Paddy BurkePaddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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Senator Bannon should be allowed to speak without interruption.

Photo of James BannonJames Bannon (Fine Gael)
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I accept people have filthy habits but the Government is doing very little to resolve this matter. Cameras should be put in place on those back roads and culs-de-sac to eliminate the problem of litter because it is having a serious impact on the tourism industry and the environment. It is important that the Minister of State give up the cheap talk and act on the problem.

Photo of Michael KittMichael Kitt (Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe. I am delighted we have this opportunity to discuss waste management. I take a different view from that of Senator Bannon on the farm plastics issue. I have lobbied with my colleagues for a number of months to get the Minister to announce a new scheme.

John Dardis (Progressive Democrats)
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Hear, hear.

Photo of Michael KittMichael Kitt (Fianna Fail)
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I was delighted that the Minister, Deputy Roche, announced a revised farm plastics scheme on 3 May this year.

Photo of James BannonJames Bannon (Fine Gael)
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With an extra charge involved.

Photo of Michael KittMichael Kitt (Fianna Fail)
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This shows the Minister is listening.

Photo of James BannonJames Bannon (Fine Gael)
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It is a rip-off of the farming community.

Photo of Michael KittMichael Kitt (Fianna Fail)
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The farming organisations made a strong case and they have welcomed this scheme.

John Dardis (Progressive Democrats)
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The polluter pays.

Photo of Michael KittMichael Kitt (Fianna Fail)
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The spring clean project announced by the Minister applies to local authorities in five counties — Galway, Clare, Mayo, Offaly and Waterford. It has been very much welcomed by the farming organisations in the west.

Photo of James BannonJames Bannon (Fine Gael)
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When?

Photo of Michael KittMichael Kitt (Fianna Fail)
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If this scheme is successful it will be rolled out to other counties. It is planned to provide the service free to farmers due to the backlog of plastic waste. A charge of €50 will be levied for each lift and this will be the average cost for farmers. I spoke recently to the environmental officer in Galway County Council and she told me there will be smaller collections at recycling centres for smaller producers.

We have got off to a good start. It was a very successful scheme in the past but perhaps it was a victim of its own success. Now that the scheme has been reinstated we can build on it and provide it in all counties. It shows that this scheme and the Government waste management scheme is working. We are turning away from being a throw-away society and our recycling rates are increasing rapidly. We are putting modern, environmentally safe methods in place for the final disposal of non-recyclable materials. This is most welcome.

The Government is making a major effort to stop the illegal dumping we know has been taking place. If we invest in putting the infrastructure in place we will be able to make further progress. In 1998, we were recycling only 9% of waste. The Minister of State indicated that by 2004 this had climbed to 33%, which is higher than the UK and approaching the European Union average. We have now almost reached our national target of 35% of municipal waste recycling and we will reach it by the year 2013. We have been most successful in our packaging waste recovery rate. We exceed the EU average in this area. Commercial premises are now obliged to segregate at source and present certain specified packaging waste materials for recovery, leading to an effective ban on putting these materials in landfill.

The majority of households now have separate bin collections for recyclables. There is a strong push by my local authority in Galway to have the extra brown bin put in place for the collection of organic household waste. The environmental officer in Galway County Council has visited many towns and villages in the county where she has talked about the benefits of composting and using wormeries. Many schools now have wormeries for dealing with waste, which is a positive approach. Many local authorities have begun to move to a pay-by-weight or pay-by-use system which rewards those who recycle more. That is a positive move from the local authority.

We are one of only two European Union member states to fully implement the European directive on electronic waste on time. Many good things are happening here, such as the green flag initiative. I attended a school recently which was the 25th in County Galway to be awarded a green flag. That is very positive.

Progress has been made on waste reduction and prevention. The Race Against Waste advertising campaign is ongoing on television and radio and it has been very effective because it has increased our awareness of how we can reduce waste at home and in the workplace. The national strategy on biodegradable waste was published last month. It is a major policy document, which sets out the measures by which Ireland will achieve 80% diversion of such waste from landfill by 2016, which amounts to 1.8 million tonnes a year currently. For the first time, we have a national waste strategy in which targets have been set for waste prevention and minimisation. Recycling by way of organic treatment is also a major component of the plan.

All waste cannot be recycled and environmentally progressive countries in the EU rely on thermal treatment to convert waste to energy. This is an emotive issue, as evidenced when it was raised at a recent meeting of Galway City Council. We need to discuss further how we will approach such treatment. Earlier I received an e-mail from Friends of the Earth. When I printed the attachment, it ran to 78 pages because, unfortunately, the document only printed on one side of the page. When I receive the Whip from Senator Moylan, at least he prints it on both sides of the page. However, this is a large document, which I have not read yet. It takes the point made by Friends of the Earth that waste incineration must be examined again.

Photo of James BannonJames Bannon (Fine Gael)
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Is the Senator accusing Friends of the Earth of creating waste?

Photo of Michael KittMichael Kitt (Fianna Fail)
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The 78 pages are all printed on one side but both sides of the page should have been used.

Photo of Joe O'TooleJoe O'Toole (Independent)
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Printing on one side of the page is not the problem of Friends of the Earth, it is the problem of the man who printed it who did not choose the option to print it on both sides.

Photo of Michael KittMichael Kitt (Fianna Fail)
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Friends of the Earth correctly raises the option of using methane gas from landfill, which is happening in Ballinasloe where the local landfill has been closed. The organisation also refers to its worries about waste incineration, an issue that should be re-examined.

Significant funding has been invested and research conducted on the uses of the gas emitting from the landfill in Ballinasloe. I am glad local authorities have moved from using small landfills to using major landfills, which can be used as a last resort, as described in the Government's strategy.

We have some way to go in providing an appropriate waste infrastructure. The Government has mentioned the need for a waste regulator to ensure the market functions properly and fairly, which I welcome. Emphasis should be placed on improving public understanding of waste disposal because the community will gain. A landfill is run in Kilconnell, County Galway, by Greenstar, a private operator that came in when the local authority would not decide where its landfill should be. Additional funding has been provided for environmental facilities, road development and amenities in the area. However, local input is needed in conjunction with that of the company and the local authority and much discussion is taking place to improve local amenities.

The Office of Environmental Enforcement has also published a report dealing with illegal waste activity. I am glad large-scale dumping is being tackled because it was horrendous, especially in 2002. Improved North-South co-operation has also reduced illegal cross-Border movement of waste. However, fly-tipping must be tackled, as must door-to-door operators who collect waste illegally and burn it in their backyards, resulting in significant toxic emissions.

The local authority system to license operators is welcome but I do not like illegal operators participating in waste disposal. The Office of Environmental Enforcement has powers under 2003 legislation and can impose penalties for illegal waste disposal. The message should be sent out loud and clear that anyone who damages the environment or puts public health at risk will be held to account for his or her actions and the Minister has, on many occasions, reiterated this message.

The Environmental Protection Agency published a report recently on drinking water in Ireland. This is important in the context of the threat of pollution from waste. I am glad public water supplies scored positively but there is concern about private water schemes, which use wells or springs as their source, because they are not monitored sufficiently. The EPA stated 10% of private schemes and 26% of public schemes were not monitored, which is worrying. Local authorities should address the issue.

The EPA has also invited local authorities to participate in a waste prevention demonstration grant aid programme with an emphasis on packaging and I hope every local authority will avail of it. Local authorities have identified 280 major producers that are not enforcing packaging regulations. However, 138 producers have joined REPAK while 40 intend to do so so they are in compliance with the scheme. At least 37 producers are non-compliant and I presume action will be taken against them by local authorities. Incentives have been provided while fines, penalties and so on can be imposed. I would like more progress on that scheme.

Photo of Joe O'TooleJoe O'Toole (Independent)
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I wish to share time with Senator Henry.

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. This is a matter of crucial importance to every community. When debating Ireland's energy needs recently, I suggested to the Minister for Finance that if communities in a clearly defined area were prepared to take complete control and responsibility for all their own waste and energy needs, they should be entitled to a tax break. Waste management is an issue of social as well as Government responsibility and it will only work when both citizens and Government are pulling in the same direction.

We do not know enough about the question of waste management. I know a bit about recycling and renewable energy, but not so much about waste. I live in north Dublin and Fingal County Council has been the most progressive council in dealing with waste. For a number of years, the council has had a system of payment by volume. There is a charge per collection rather than an annual charge. Payment by weight or volume makes much sense and it should be in every single local authority. The polluter pays principle also needs to be applied rigorously.

I support the idea of having a regulator in this area. Reasonably sized waste operators have been going out of business, pushed out by bigger operators who take over the job at an increased rate. There was such a case recently in Limerick city. We are heading towards a monopoly or duopoly situation as some of the operators are getting very big. In such cases, a regulator would be very useful to introduce guidelines. However, Friends of the Earth is right to state that we are not doing enough recycling. Every single local authority should be required to have a green or a brown bin. In the argument about one-off housing, conditions could be imposed on planning permission to include composting and so on. If every house had a composter and a choice of bins, many strides would be made. In his speech, the Minister stated that 80% of the waste in landfill is biodegradable. There is no reason we cannot deal with that.

Collections and bring centres will not work because it is too much effort for most people to take material to a bring centre. However, they will put it outside their gate for collection. The composter does not take biodegradable cooked foods, but people still do that. Some people do not know about composters. We have not emptied our composter in four years and it has never overflowed. When it arrived, I thought it would only last a month yet it is still stacking up years later. There are ways of speeding up composting by heating it or by wrapping it in insulation that breaks down the waste.

I have done my best to read about incinerators. I have listened to all the arguments and I have tried to approach the issue with an open mind, but I do not know where I stand. I read the Friends of the Earth document on incineration and I was disappointed that it only focused on one issue. It dealt with incineration that regenerates electricity, which although a very important issue, is not the general argument about incineration.

However, the case is made that for an incinerator to be effective, there is a certain critical mass of waste which it must use. Therefore, where incinerators have been established, there is an encouragement to bring more waste to it. If that is the case — it has been put forward by Friends of the Earth and others — we should look at it very carefully.

It seems that modern incinerators, provided they are kept to the terms of planning and to the temperature levels required, are safer than any other form of waste disposal. If they are not maintained according to the most stringent regulations, then they can release gas, ash and other waste into the atmosphere that will create dioxins. If that happens, we cannot support them at all.

I do not know how this can be effectively monitored, but it should be. In the Minister of State's own constituency, I read that a chemical plant had exceeded the waste output level on 30 or 40 occasions. The plant was not an incinerator, but it produced chemicals. There was a way to check that, so there must be a way to check incinerators.

Incinerators reduce the amount of waste by about 90%, which is a very positive thing. On the other hand, that leaves 10% that must be disposed of. That 10% has been used in roads, footpaths and infill but I am not sure what damage it does to the environment if it leaks into the surrounding countryside. Can the Minister of State outline the arguments for and against incinerators? I suspect that he is regularly forced to take a line on certain issues and there is nothing wrong with that.

This is an issue about which many of us know little. If we keep hearing the arguments for and against incineration, we will come to our own conclusions. Once people are polarised about this issue, we will not make progress. Technology is improving and it probably makes incineration safer. However, dealing with the residue is an important issue.

I would like to know about the efficiencies that arise from methane production in landfill sites. Is it being extensively carried out or is it being done as a sop? I agree with the point made by Friends of the Earth that selling the idea of incineration on the basis that it produces electricity is not an argument that stands up to close scrutiny. It can be done, but it is highly inefficient. However, if it sorts out the waste problem, it might be worth examining.

We are entitled to light a fire in our back yard on a certain number of days in the year, such as bonfire night. I used to hear that farmers could burn waste two days a year. What does someone do with a large quantity of hedge clippings? If someone cuts down a 15 ft. Leylandii hedge, what does he or she do with the result?

I have heard Senator Dardis make comments similar to these. I too live on the edge of the metropolis, and not a weekend goes by without my seeing a mattress or bed dumped at the edge of some quiet road. That is inexcusable, and I would love to catch those responsible. I would be very happy to report them, since we never find them.

One of the reasons that they do that is that they must pay to bring things to the official dump. People should be allowed to bring outsize items such as parts of beds or other furniture without charge. In some countries, there is a special collection every few months for such things. I am not sure if it is done anywhere in Ireland, but it is certainly the case in parts of France and elsewhere. It might be our bridge to doing something, and I ask that the Minister act accordingly.

Mary Henry (Independent)
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I thank Senator O'Toole for sharing time with me.

I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe, to the House for these important statements. His figures on the improvement in recycling and reuse in this country were very encouraging.

The first issue I wish to address is packaging waste. We are not making enough effort to reduce the amount of packaging around goods. Considerable quantities of goods are imported, but we also produce goods ourselves, and not much effort is being put into reducing the packaging around them. Unfortunately, packaging helps to sell goods, and that is among the reasons that so many firms are reluctant to deal with the issue.

When this House passed legislation on packaging, I thought that in the case of large items such as refrigerators, washing machines, and cookers, the shop would be obliged to take their packaging away again when they were delivered to people's houses. The packaging in question is cardboard and, worse still, polystyrene, but I have discovered that the onus is on the householder to bring the packaging back to the shop. Perhaps that might be changed, since it is much more difficult to get people to gather all the packaging together — particularly the polystyrene, which disintegrates so easily — and bring it back to the shop than to have those delivering it take it straight back. I was under a misapprehension when the legislation was passed, since I assumed that to be the case.

There has been a great increase in the number of motor vehicles in this country and at the same time a drop in the recycling of tyres. The result has been a build-up of scrap tyres. I have some knowledge of and interest in the area, and they cannot all be put on silage pits around the country. Many are dumped, sometimes in watercourses, with very serious effects on the quality of water in the area.

It is important we try to ensure that a facility be established to deal with such scrap tyres. There was one, but unfortunately if suffered a serious fire, so that I gather it is out of action. Tyres must be reduced so that the valuable metal in them can be removed, sold and reused. Whatever rubber remains can be cut up to various sizes. It is good to put such rubber into roads, since it reduces the noise from traffic. We must consider this area as soon as possible. One notices tyres in the most inappropriate places, particularly on farms and in watercourses.

On the question of incineration, Senator O'Toole has rightly addressed the disposal of residual waste, which is a serious issue, since it can have a very undesirable component. To date, we have exported much of it, but we may not be allowed to do so for much longer. The one problem I always see with incineration is that it encourages neither reuse nor recycling. I read about the proposed incinerator in Poolbeg, which is near where I live. People are concerned that there may not be enough waste in the area to keep it in operation, so that it may be necessary to import waste from outside the area to make it economic. That would be very unfortunate, since there would be a great increase in the volume of traffic locally, particularly of heavy vehicles in an urban area.

Being able to feed incinerators is a problem, and we must ask ourselves whether it is really what we want. It would currently be better to concentrate on reducing, recycling and reusing, and I am delighted to see that we have made such progress in those areas.

John Dardis (Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to share my time with Senator Brennan.

Photo of Paddy BurkePaddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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Is that agreed? Agreed.

John Dardis (Progressive Democrats)
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I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe, to the House to debate what is obviously an important matter. When we look back on this period 20 years hence, we will wonder how society allowed our environment to be damaged to such an extent. We have remembered other times where people suffered physical and sexual violence, major sources of anger, controversy and pain. In 20 years, we will look back and ask how we allowed ourselves to treat the environment like this.

Happily, however, matters are improving, and in my experience of being a member of a local authority, from the time that I joined it until today, there has been an enormous improvement. We had a landfill site close to my home from which methane gas leaked. People had to be evacuated when it got into fissures in the rock, since it had not been properly sealed. The management was totally inadequate, and people simply did not know the effects of landfill, both in the immediate vicinity and, probably more importantly in the long term, on ground water. They were badly managed, and part of the problem was that the resources to deal with it were simply not there.

Fortunately, that is no longer the case, and now at the same landfill facility we have a recycling part. When I started using it, one could drive to it quite easily on a Saturday or any other morning. Now there is a traffic control system, since so many people are using it. They must pay for it, and while they are not charged at the gate, bringing materials there has its cost. The public has some appetite for recycling and separation, and happily that is happening before our waste is collected from outside our homes.

Senator Bannon made a reasonable point regarding farm plastics, the situation regarding which has fortunately improved. I can recall farm chemicals and how one wound up with a store of half-empty cans and so on of which one simply could not dispose. Now I can bring them to my local landfill site free of charge for disposal, a very positive development. There have been heartening changes.

The Minister of State made a valuable point when he said that we must all make an effort, since a consensus is involved in this question. That means everybody, every home, workplace, farm and business. We are definitely in a transition from the unsophisticated kind of system of which I spoke to one that is much more multidimensional. We have moved from total dependence on landfill to, one hopes, new practices.

Ultimately, it may lead us to the point where we will have to consider burning waste and recovering the energy. As fossil fuels become more limited and energy more expensive, that source of energy will have its attractions. For years I watched how methane gas, an obvious source of energy, was flared from a landfill. Now Kildare County Council is harnessing that energy, which is going into the national grid. The requisite technology exists, although I agree that it must be done on a large scale to make it economic and derive the greatest benefit.

I wonder about those who get so excited regarding the possibility that dioxins might emerge from a chimney stack with very new technology, despite their happily burning material in their back garden, probably creating far more dioxins in their immediate environment. They would also allow landfill to pollute waterways and ground water, but that does not seem to register with the public, something I cannot understand. Reference was made to the waste hierarchy of prevent, minimise, reuse, recycle, recover and safely dispose, while the polluter pays concept is also important.

I concur with the remarks made by Senator O'Toole with regard to composting. My local authority, Kildare County Council, has been proactive in terms of explaining how composting works because only about ten people originally applied for bins, even though the council was offering them free of charge. I appeal to the Minister of State to ensure that people are given information because, while the appetite exists to make use of compost bins, people have concerns about issues, such as vermin, which can be readily resolved. Kildare County Council has held a number of well attended meetings to explain composting and continues to do a good job in this regard.

The Government is to be commended on launching the waste management grant scheme in 2002 to provide funding for the provision of waste recycling and recovery infrastructure. I understand that several tens of millions of euro have been spent under that scheme.

Local authorities have primary responsibility for waste management but an exclusive focus on them may lead us to neglect the responsibility of the individual. Information is important in ensuring that individuals can exercise their options but responsibility rests with each of us to prevent, minimise and reuse. The duty of the State and local authorities is to facilitate rather than intervene or hold hands. As we have learned from the smoking ban, changing individual behaviour is a difficult and slow process but change can be affected if a proactive and supportive approach is taken. Society as a whole would derive enormous benefits from change in the area of waste management.

Much progress has already been made with regard to recycling centres but more facilities are needed. Bottle banks and other local facilities have to be well managed if they are to be effective. It can be unpleasant, when recycling bottles or cans, to find a recycling facility covered with other people's litter. Litter wardens in my local authority area have been very active in this regard, despite being subjected to extensive abuse. However, more should be done on the issue of fly-tipping. I dreamed up a law, the first law of takeaway, which states that the average family in the average car travelling at the average speed consumes one takeaway meal in 1.5 miles. I know this because I live 1.5 miles away from a takeaway and have to pick up the rubbish thrown from cars passing my gate. I am not claiming that Supermacs or McDonalds should be forced to pay for the disposal of this waste because that is the responsibility of the person who takes away the food. However, litter wardens can help control this problem.

The plastic bag environmental levy was a successful initiative. When the 15 cent charge was introduced on 14 March 2002, the number of stray and waste bags along our roadways decreased significantly. It was estimated at the time that approximately 1.2 million bags had been provided for free. About six years ago, I met a senior executive from an American corporation who was holidaying in the west of Ireland. He told me that his two dislikes about Ireland were litter and smoking in pubs. I thought at the time that something could be done about litter but smoking in pubs could not be addressed. However, we have perhaps been more successful in stopping the latter. A strong case could be made for doubling the levy because anecdotal evidence suggests its effect is wearing off. It is increasingly common to be handed a plastic bag when shopping and the incentive is diminishing as money becomes less valuable.

While I concur with some of Senator Bannon's remarks on waste, I consider the revised farm plastics scheme announced two weeks ago to represent a major improvement. We are all aware that difficulties existed but funding will be supplied by means of a combination of levies paid by the producer members who run the scheme and charges from weight-based collections.

The standard cost bin system did not provide an incentive to separate and recycle. People who reduced the amount of waste they put in their bins did not do so to reduce their charges but because they were good citizens. There should be some integration in this area.

Senator O'Toole raised the issue of a regulator but I am unsure whether one is required. The Environmental Protection Agency, which has greatly improved its licensing procedures, may already be fulfilling the role of regulator in respect of its issuing of licences and oversight of the system.

People need an incentive in terms of reducing their charges. I have a holiday home in Galway, where waste is divided among blue, white and green bags. These bags have to be individually purchased from shops, which provides an incentive to separate waste. Good citizenship is also required but a lot of people will, if given the opportunity, follow the proper procedures. I urge the Minister of State to ensure they are encouraged to be responsible, so we can look back on the present as a time of transformation in terms of how we treat our waste and look after our country. Our tourism and food industries would benefit from a clean, green and pollution-free island.

Michael Brennan (Progressive Democrats)
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I welcome the Minister of State to this House. My party colleague, Senator Dardis, outlined our views on waste management. I commend the Government on the progress made towards ending the discharge of untreated sewage from cities and towns, providing projects for secondary treatment and meeting the requirements of the urban waste water directive.

This week, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Roche, approved funding of €8.5 million for a unique design, build and operate contract which will see new state-of-the art water treatment plants at 33 locations in six counties. I am not concerned about the provision of resources for waste management but about the spending of those resources. It was reported last weekend that, because of concerns that capital spending was running behind schedule, the Minister for Finance, Deputy Cowen, instructed Ministers to ensure Departments spend their budgets.

I am aware that the Minister, Deputy Roche, has already pressed local authorities to begin construction of the schemes approved under the Water Services Investment Programme 2005-07. Red tape has been cut in the area of water and sewerage schemes and the same should be the case for the waste management plans adopted at regional level because many communities await the approval of these works with anxiety. The Minister can announce schemes and provide the necessary funds but local authorities, which are controlled by parties across this House, must implement them. Many Senators have outlined the need for education and facilities to improve waste management and local authorities have a critical role to play in this regard. We should also commend the community initiatives, such as the Tidy Towns competition, which involve co-operative efforts by volunteers, Department and local authority officials and schools to turn our towns into places of which we can be proud.

Waste management charges represent a substantial portion of the weekly income of old age pensioners. I urge the Minister for Social and Family Affairs to investigate whether a scheme can be introduced to alleviate this problem.

1:00 pm

Photo of Ulick BurkeUlick Burke (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister of State to the House and the opportunity to contribute to this debate. We are all aware that over the past four or five years various local authorities throughout the country have adopted waste management plans with two priorities. These are the provision of landfill sites in practically every county and the proposal to have incinerators throughout the country. The reports prepared for the local authorities have one common ingredient. They were practically all produced by the consultancy MC O'Sullivan. Unfortunately what was provided for one county was replicated in most other counties.

Most local authorities are trapped into a policy of landfill and incineration. To keep what is known as a "written balance" we have the concepts of reuse, recover and recycle but the input is, with a few exceptions, minimal. Galway city has set an example in waste management. In the first year or two it achieved 35% recycling and reuse, which has not been matched anywhere in the country.

Waste is the 21st century goldmine. As a result, various private commercial companies have entered the waste management and recovery business. The Minister is familiar with this. In County Galway private enterprise has taken over a landfill and denied pubic access to it. This is new. Local authority landfills were always open to the public and one could dispose of waste for a fee. Greenstar at Kilconnell in County Galway will not allow any private individual on site. It will only allow registered, licensed contractors.

Disposal of waste has become an expensive item in the household budget and elderly people have a particularly serious problem. If an elderly person has a bin he or she pays €360 per year regardless of whether he or she fills the bin. In the past, elderly people would save money by dumping their rubbish at the local landfill. If anybody from Clifden wanted to dispose of something he or she would have to go to the landfill in Athlone. Private, commercial facilities that have planning permission from the local authorities should allow public access to their landfill sites. They have never been asked and a good planning authority would have made it a condition of planning that they would provide a public facility.

The Minister is aware that in certain parts of the world resource recovery parks are being successfully operated. They are part of the overall waste management process in the US, Nova Scotia, New Zealand and parts of Australia. They demonstrate that one can make money out of waste. People are doing so. Many people who dealt with items such as scrap metal, which was waste to somebody, made a fortune from it. Some 90% of the material deposited in resource recovery parks can be reused, not just recycled, and manufactured into new items.

We are all aware that the Dublin Glass Bottle Company, which operated for years, went out of business because of the costs of processing recycled bottles. The use of technology enables places in the country to recycle that glass into a type of sand that can be manufactured into a host of different materials and products. It can be used for road metalling and to make tiles, flooring and other products. Ground glass is used as sand in an equine centre in Ennis, County Clare. It is the most efficient material for maintaining the exercise tracks and is ideally suited.

There was a time when various groups collected waste paper and cardboard and brought it to centres from which we were told it was taken away and recycled. However when one of those trucks was followed, it was found that it went to the Kill landfill in north Kildare. Senator Dardis is familiar with that situation. We now have uses for paper and cardboard that did not exist before. In my constituency, in Gort, County Galway, a group has formed consisting of business people in industry of all kinds, householders and an imaginative person who has put together a proposal for a resource recovery park.

However the local authority will not entertain this, even on a pilot basis. It is a pity because 94% of products imported are disposed of within six months. The packaging and other recoveries are wasteful and go to landfill. I ask the Minister to take the proposal on board. It should be supported financially as a one-off pilot scheme until the concept takes root. A site is available in Gort but because the local authority has adopted MC O'Sullivan's management plan, it finds it difficult to deviate from it. I ask the Minister to recognise this project as a pilot scheme, support it and see what can be done if people are serious about using, not necessarily recovering, all the items that go to waste, 90% of which can be recovered. If that were done there would be a new orientation in Government waste disposal policy away from the publicly disowned incineration and landfill. The people want an alternative but there is none. I ask the Minister to provide one. Everybody is concerned about the disposal of waste.

Many Senators referred to the level of consciousness of the environment among schoolchildren. The children in the schools in Gort have latched on to this subject and have said that if only somebody in authority would recognise the potential of recycling, the disposal of waste would no longer represent a cost but serve a profitable industry. I ask the Minister of State to take on board the idea behind the pilot scheme and make contact with those concerned. The personnel involved have been in contact with the Department and I ask the Minister of State to reconsider the proposal.

Photo of Cyprian BradyCyprian Brady (Fianna Fail)
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I, too, welcome the Minister of State to the House and the opportunity to debate waste management. Other Senators have pointed out that it affects everybody, regardless of their age, profession or location. The management of what we produce as consumers must be taken extremely seriously.

I recently visited the headquarters of the Environmental Protection Agency in Johnstown Castle in Wexford. I congratulate Dr. Mary Kelly and her crew on playing a considerable role in controlling our waste and pollution in general. The agency has a crucial role in the licensing of all major landfill and disposal sites. That the agency's staff are discussing issues that arise with community representatives is to be welcomed greatly.

In the not too distant past, I examined some of our recycling statistics and noted that we had a recycling rate of 7.4% in 1993. The Minister of State outlined the current percentages, which can only be regarded as representing progress. We have made great strides legislatively over recent years and the Department must be congratulated on these. The current and preceding Governments have done a lot in the past ten years to tackle the issue of waste management.

Local authorities play a considerable role in waste management and waste management plans are crucial in enforcing legislation that is introduced. Dublin City Council is extremely proactive and has a very good grasp of what is needed in the city. There are very significant issues to be addressed. It is not just in the back lanes and by-lanes in rural areas that fly-dumping is practised — it is also evident in the city. Plastic bags are dumped in laneways, as are sofas and beds, but the council is tackling this problem.

Until the passage of the Waste Management Act 1996, we had not defined "waste". The Act represented the first serious attempt to do so.

It always amazes me that the economic benefits of recycling are not taken seriously. Companies in the United States that recycle tyres comprise a huge and very profitable industry. Sunflower Recycling, a company in North Strand in my constituency, employs people profitably to collect waste. They are employed full-time and as part of community employment schemes.

I was very happy to hear the Minister of State talk about the market development group, which is crucial to the future of waste management. As Senator Ulick Burke stated, we must determine how we can get private concerns to become involved in wholesale recycling.

A number of different programmes, from Changing our Ways to the present one, have been launched over the years and have proved to be very successful. Strategic and sustainable waste management plans are needed and many of the initiatives of the Department over recent years have been very sustainable. This debate is all about looking to the future.

One of the major debates at the Joint Committee on Environment and Local Government concerned the disposal of electronic and electrical items. This has proved to be extremely successful. The WEEE directive had to be implemented and Ireland was one of the first countries in Europe to do so fully. The polluter pays principle is the main plank of much of our legislation and the producer take-back scheme is proving very successful.

We have come a long way in dealing with hazardous waste and have a high rate of recovery, but we need to consider the matter further. Some years ago the Oireachtas committee visited a thermal treatment plant in the middle of a residential and business area in a large city in Switzerland. The plant was thermally treating hazardous chemicals such as paint and turpentine very successfully. Its technology was the most modern available and it was supplying approximately 40% of the locality's heating and electricity needs. The technology exists and it is up to us to take advantage of it.

The debate on incineration will continue no matter what happens and we must adopt a strong, pragmatic approach to it. Much progress has been made in this regard. The rate of disposal of construction and demolition waste is now 85%. In Dublin city, where there has been significant development of apartments, etc., over recent years, waste disposal is a major issue. We have built up expertise and it can be built up further in the areas I have mentioned. We aim to reuse and recover 95% of end-of-life vehicles by 2015 and are well on the way to doing so.

I congratulate the Minister. Waste management affects everybody, regardless of where they come from, and we are well on the way to playing our part. If the Government continues as it is doing, we will be very successful.

Photo of John Paul PhelanJohn Paul Phelan (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister of State, whose opening remarks I did not hear. We have had a number of debates on the important issue of waste management in my four years in the Seanad.

As a former member of a local authority, I am well aware of the difficulties that exist throughout the country with regard to the disposal of waste. A number of Senators on both sides have referred to the considerable change in attitude that has occurred nationally over the course of the past five to eight years. Some seven or eight years ago, there were very low levels of recycling, at approximately 2% or 3%, but now the rate is between 20% and 30% in some categories. This is because of the great change in the attitude of ordinary members of the public. I welcome this fully as it demonstrates how people's attitudes can change if they are presented with the full facts and realise their attitudes need to change.

I wish to emphasise a number of points to which previous speakers have referred. I refer to illegal dumping, a pet hate of mine. Improvements in recycling have coincided with a worsening of illegal dumping. Sofas, mattresses and washing machines are strewn on quiet roads and forested areas throughout the country. This is a grave issue facing the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and local authorities. I support Senator O'Toole's suggestion that a free collection for larger products take place every few months. This could alleviate the incidence of illegal dumping.

I live in a rural area and a State forest covering thousands of acres lies between my house and Waterford city. Rubbish is dumped there on a weekly basis and I continually contact Coillte and the local authorities to clean it up. As soon as it is clean, more rubbish is dumped. Perhaps we need to name and shame those convicted of illegal dumping or we could introduce the scheme proposed by Senator O'Toole. We must do something dramatic to end this scourge.

The Government is proposing to build incinerators around the country, to which I am implacably opposed. I have no scientific proof of the damage caused by incineration although studies suggest possible negative effects. The crucial reason for my opposition is that building thermal treatment plants will remove the incentive to reduce, reuse and recycle the waste people produce. These incinerators will be privately built, owned and operated and will require a continuous stream of waste in order to be successful. If this happens, the incentive to reduce waste will be removed. The majority of households in my area do not put out a bin every week. The Government has put resources into bring centres and bottle banks throughout the country and we cannot reverse engines now by building incinerators that will need a constant stream of waste.

Those in favour of incineration suggest it will remove the need for landfill but that is not the case. Residual waste, in the form of ash, will have to be placed in a landfill and will be more toxic than what we store in landfill at present.

Photo of Mary WhiteMary White (Fianna Fail)
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One minute Senator Phelan is in favour of incineration, the next he is against it.

Photo of John Paul PhelanJohn Paul Phelan (Fine Gael)
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I am completely opposed to incineration and was never in favour of it.

I agree with previous speakers who referred to packaging waste. Many of us buy products wrapped in four layers of packaging. Legislation was passed some years ago to reduce packaging but this has not had an effect on the majority of products. This should be addressed as soon as possible.

The Government has provided some €90 million over the past six years but this is not a major investment. In order to build on the achievement of recycling 30% of waste we must invest more money to build state-of-the-art bring centres in every major provincial town. I encourage the Government to increase expenditure under that heading.

Photo of Ann OrmondeAnn Ormonde (Fianna Fail)
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I wish to share time with Senator White. I welcome the Minister and congratulate the Government, whose plan began in 1998. I compliment South Dublin County Council, the leader in piloting schemes and introducing initiatives in the Dublin area. The public now understands the need to recycle and has changed its thinking. The grey bins, which changed the environment, are evidence of this, as are the new green bins and the pay per use scheme. This allowed the householder to reduce bin collection to once per month in winter. The public has grasped the need to keep the environment clean and to be proud of it. Under the new waste management plan, powers exist to challenge illegal dumping.

Seaside rural areas with mobile homes are littered by evening time during the summer months. Local authorities must be vigilant about this issue. Although enforcement officers are on patrol, resources must be increased because we must create an image during the summer when tourists are visiting. A bad impression is created by litter and illegal dumping.

I welcome the WEEE scheme, which has been a major success. At the time I was not in favour because prices increased and there was considerable opposition to it.

However, it has exceeded its target beyond all expectations and is one of the best measures I have seen in recent times.

An awareness campaign is very important. We must adopt a holistic approach and continue to promote this issue in our schools. The national spring clean campaign is important. Leadership is important; we need drive, motivation and resources. We are well on our way to achieving our goals. We have already achieved success and we should strive towards further successes. All we need to do is to co-ordinate all the stakeholders to ensure we have a smashing environment.

Photo of Mary WhiteMary White (Fianna Fail)
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I compliment the Minister of State on his first class contribution which I will file away and use as a source of information on the great progress made in waste management. I refer to two words in the Minister of State's contribution, that is, "consensus" and "planning", which are critical. I draw attention to the proposed incinerator on the Poolbeg Peninsula in Dublin. I have spoken to the Minister, Deputy Roche, and have tabled a motion at a Fianna Fáil Parliamentary Party meeting in the presence of the Taoiseach and the Minister indicating my objections to the Poolbeg incinerator because of bad planning and lack of consensus among the local people.

I have engaged with local community groups, including the Combined Residents Association Against Incineration and the Sandymount and Merrion Residents Association. I have advised Dublin City Council that I am opposed to the bizarre planning of the proposed incinerator on Poolbeg. Locating an incinerator on a cul-de-sac, which Poolbeg peninsula is, and in the vicinity of a built-up residential area without the necessary supporting infrastructure defies all logic. The quality of life of the residents of Bath Avenue, Ringsend, Irishtown, South Lotts Road, Sandymount and Merrion will be seriously undermined if the incinerator goes ahead.

It is proposed to bring 500,000 tonnes of domestic refuse from Fingal, Dublin city, South Dublin County Council and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council through the roads of Sandymount and Irishtown to this cul-de-sac. Originally when this incinerator was proposed, it was believed that the Dublin eastern by-pass would be built, that a tunnel under Sandymount Strand would connect with the M50 in south Dublin. This road will not go ahead and there are no plans for it in the Government's 2015 road plans. Only money for a feasibility study has been put aside. This road may never be built.

The ideal place for an incinerator is on a ring road around a city as happens in Vienna and on the Continent. Sandymount, Irishtown and Merrion were little villages and the roads in the area are still village roads. Bringing 400 trucks per day through these roads will seriously damage the quality of life of the residents. I travelled on these roads each day for 16 years when I went from Dundrum to the East Wall and I know them inside out. I have seen trucks break the speed limit on the Strand Road. The 400 trucks which would travel on these little roads each day would be heavy and not easily turned or manoeuvred, and they would impede on the quality of life of the residents in this area. Good planning requires consensus and the residents in the area I have named do not want this incinerator built on this peninsula because of the absence of the ring road.

Photo of Batt O'KeeffeBatt O'Keeffe (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I ended my earlier contribution by anticipating that the debate would be informative and beneficial, which it has proved to be. The contributions from Senators were knowledgeable and constructive and demonstrated an understanding of the importance of waste management and the challenges our society faces. All societies generate waste but one of the hallmarks of a sustainable society is its ability to deal with waste in a manner which does not pose a risk to human health or the environment.

I have sympathy for Senators who expressed concerns about incineration. Unfortunately, some seek to misrepresent our approach to what is an energy recovery technology. Like Senators, I acknowledge it is no coincidence that those countries on mainland Europe which are rightly regarded as leaders in environmental commitment and performance, such as Germany, Austria and the Netherlands, rely to a significant degree on thermal treatment while also achieving an exceptional level of recycling. We cannot wish our waste away but we can achieve best practice in terms of recycling and we are well on our way to doing so. However, for the foreseeable future, we will have significant quantities of waste which will either be landfilled or thermally treated. I have no doubt which is the best option; it is not to pass the bulk of it on to future generations. We generate waste and it is up to us to deal with it. Those who speak of a zero waste option are simply not living in the real world. I would say to Senator O'Toole that, of course, incinerators must meet strict EU standards.

I agree wholeheartedly with those who commended the public's effort on recycling. What has been achieved to date has been remarkable. A visit to a recycling centre is now becoming part of the social fabric, and so it should be. We all know we need to further expand the number of such facilities and Senators can be assured that my Department will continue to grant aid local authorities to ensure more facilities are provided.

Senator O'Toole spoke about pay by weight and the fact it applies throughout the country. I agree with the Senator that this is how charges should be levied. I also agree on the issue of segregated collection. Over 0.5 million homes now have a green bin. Brown bin services have been introduced in Galway and Waterford and they will be rolled out throughout the country in the coming years leading to a dramatic increase in the recovery of biodegradable waste.

As regards composting and organic waste recovery, in 2004 we generated almost 2 million tonnes of biodegradable waste. We recovered, including through composting, 33% of material up from 11% in 1995. We accept we still face a major challenge in this area. The new national strategy on biodegradable waste will ensure further rapid progress in this area.

I refer to public information. Senator Ormonde mentioned the spring clean campaign and the green schools initiative. The Race Against Waste campaign also provides magnificent information implementation packages. This is probably the leading country in Europe in terms of the green schools competition in which 55% of all schools are involved. We firmly believe we can take a step in the right direction through young people in our schools who are highly motivated. My Department will ensure we continue the momentum which has started. Local authorities are now employing environmental awareness officers.

Uncontrolled backyard burning of refuse, which is a serious issue, was the source of 73% of dioxin emissions in Ireland in 2004. Neighbours engaging in backyard burning are not looking after the health of the immediate community. The above statistic is from the Race Against Waste fact sheet. Therefore, the need for stringent enforcement by local authorities is clear.

The aim of the strategy in respect of composting is that we want to ensure 33% of biodegradable waste is composting by 2016 and we want home composting to reach 16%. These are serious targets.

I wish to take issue with Senator Bannon on farm waste plastics. We have regulations in place under which 55%, or 8,500 tonnes, of plastic waste was collected in 2004. This increased to 12,500 tonnes in 2005. Improved arrangements are in place and we will continue to make improvements. The average cost to a farmer will be in the order of €50 per lift. We will continue to provide designated facilities to deal with the backlog.

Senator Bannon's figures for recycling are incorrect. The figure was approximately 34% in 2004 and this will increase for 2005. Producer responsibility initiatives are an important contribution to this issue. The Minister is in discussions with newsprint producers about the amount of paper they produce.

In response to Senator Ulick Burke, I cannot comment on access to particular facilities without knowing all the circumstances. We should, however, distinguish between landfills and recycling facilities. Landfill sites can be dangerous places, whereas recycling facilities are designed for safe public access. There is a significant difference. My Department has provided some €90 million for such facilities since 2002 and will continue to do so.

I agree fully with Senator Phelan about illegal dumping. It was to combat this type of activity that the Office of Environmental Enforcement was established. It has been in operation for a little over a year and has made significant progress. It is working with the local authorities and the Garda to stamp out illegal activity, which there is reason to believe has significantly reduced. There is a growing network of recycling facilities around the country. Many types of waste are collected free of charge. Therefore, there is no excuse for illegal dumping.

We do not accept that there are issues surrounding the regulation of the waste sector, including the determination of charges. The Minister will bring a proposal to Government on future regulation of the sector. He is considering setting public service obligations as a priority.

Sitting suspended at 1.35 p.m. and resumed at 2.30 p.m.