Martin Ferris (Kerry North, Sinn Fein)
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Question 83: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the percentage of recyclables collected in the State which are recycled in the State; the percentage which are recycled in other states; the percentage which are not recycled; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3813/05]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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National waste statistics in respect of all waste streams are published at three yearly intervals by the Environmental Protection Agency with the most recent national waste database report being in respect of 2001. While the database reports do not provide an overall recycling figure for Ireland, recycling rates in respect of individual waste streams are supplied. In the intervening period, two further interim reports have been published to provide data on municipal waste specifically, that is, household and commercial waste, for the years 2002 and 2003 respectively. The latest figures available on municipal waste generation, recovery and disposal are contained in the national waste database interim report for 2003, published by the agency in December 2004, which reports that the recycling rate in the municipal waste stream has advanced to 28.4% in 2003, up from 20.7% in 2002.

The EU, by way of Council Regulation EEC No. 259/93 of 6 February 1993, as amended, has a system of supervision and control to apply to shipments of waste within, into and out of the territory of the EU. Under regulation 259/93 a distinction is made between waste which is destined for final disposal, for example, landfill, or for recovery, for example, recycling. For waste which is specifically destined for recovery, a further distinction is made between: "green" list waste — Annex II of the regulation; "amber" list waste — Annex III of the regulation; and "red" list waste — Annex IV of the regulation.

Waste on each of these lists is connected to a particular control procedure. Shipments of all waste destined for disposal, and shipments of hazardous and semi-hazardous waste destined for recovery, are subject to the requirement of prior written notification and consent. Shipments of non-hazardous waste — that is, green or typically, clean segregated recyclable waste fractions — destined for recovery are not subject to the procedure of prior written notification. Such shipments are only subject to the general information requirement that they be accompanied by certain information and documentation.

The national waste database interim report for 2003 indicates that 858,211 tonnes of non-notified waste was exported for recycling in 2003, which represents 69.1% of Irish waste recycling. A total of 30.9% of the total of recyclables collected were processed in Ireland.

The agency does not have data on non-recycling of recovered material. In this regard, the Waste Management Acts 1996-2003 provide a clear duty of care on the holder of waste to only pass it to an authorised entity, either a local authority or a person in possession of a waste collection permit, or deposit it at an authorised facility, which is one that is either licensed or registered with the EPA or permitted by a local authority.

Under section 32 of the 1996 Act, as amended, it is an offence to hold, transport, recover or dispose of waste in a manner that causes or is likely to cause environmental pollution. The Acts also provide that any such activity carried on which is not in compliance with a waste permit-licence, authorisation or certificate shall be presumed to cause environmental pollution until proven otherwise.