Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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Question 1350: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the action he is taking to address the delays in collecting farm plastic through the farm relief services; the revenue collected in each of the past five years from the collection levy for farm plastics; the average waiting time for the collection of material; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1378/05]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Under the Waste Management (Farm Plastics) Regulations 2001, producers, that is, manufacturers and importers of farm plastics such as silage bale wrap and sheeting, are required to take steps to recover farm plastics waste which they have placed on the market or alternatively to contribute to, and participate in, compliance schemes to recover the waste in question. The farm plastics recovery scheme operated by the Irish Farm Film Producers Group, IFFPG, is the sole "approved body" in Ireland for the purposes of implementing a compliance scheme for the recovery of farm plastics waste and has operated successfully to date.

Under the IFFPG scheme, producers apply a levy on the sale of farm plastics which in turn is transferred to the IFFPG for use in funding the collection and recovery of farm plastics waste. The IFFPG is a not for profit organisation and the rate of levy applied is set by the company so that its operational costs are covered. The engagement of collection companies to collect farm plastics waste is a matter for the IFFPG.