Written answers

Wednesday, 18 May 2005

Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government

Waste Management

9:00 pm

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 304: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if his Department has issued guidelines in respect of the location of landfill sites; if such guidelines are as restrictive as those in respect of housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16720/05]

Photo of Dick RocheDick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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My Department has not issued guidelines in relation to the location of landfill facilities. However, I have recently issued a policy direction under section 60 of the Waste Management Act 1996 to provide greater clarity in regard to the appropriate application of the proximity principle so as to facilitate the provision of environmentally sustainable and economically viable waste infrastructure in accordance with overall national policy on waste management.

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 305: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of illegal dumps or sites that have to date been identified in the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16721/05]

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 306: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of illegal dumps identified in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16722/05]

Photo of Dick RocheDick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 305 and 306 together.

The Office of Environmental Enforcement has commissioned a study on unauthorised waste activities, to be completed shortly and made available for public consultation. This will include establishing as completely as possible the extent of unauthorised activities, reviewing current procedures and developing improved guidance for investigation of such activities. In the meantime, the office and the relevant local authorities are taking urgent and co-ordinated action against identified illegal waste activities, and these actions will be further assisted when the results of the study are available.

In the context of general policy directions on waste management matters which I recently issued under section 60 of the Waste Management Act 1996, I have reminded local authorities of the need to ensure that the requirements of section 22 of the Act are fully met in the current review of their waste management plans. Section 22 states that a waste management plan shall include information on: the identification of sites at which waste disposal or recovery activities have been carried on; the assessment of any risk of environmental pollution arising as a result of such activities; measures proposed to be taken, or, where such an assessment has already been made, measures taken, in order to prevent or limit any such environmental pollution; and the identification of necessary remedial measures in respect of such sites, and measures proposed to be taken, or, where such measures have already been identified, measures taken, to achieve such remediation, having regard to the cost-effectiveness of available remediation techniques.

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