Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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Question 91: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that although farmers pay to have all of their waste silage plastic collected and recycled, only 42% of this material is collected; the reason for this shortfall; if the money gathered in respect of the remaining 58% of this plastic has been accounted for; the steps he intends to take to ensure that 100% of waste silage plastic is collected and recycled; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22207/05]

Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 111: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will identify all the local authorities which accept inorganic farming waste for recycling; the types and volumes of inorganic farming waste collected and recycled by local authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22206/05]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 91 and 111 together.

Under the Waste Management (Farm Plastics) Regulations 2001, producers — that is, manufacturers and importers — of farm plastics, 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 films producers group, IFFPG, is the sole "approved body" in Ireland at present for the purposes of implementing a compliance scheme for farm plastics waste and has operated successfully to date, funding the collection and recycling of 9,000 tonnes of farm plastics in 2004, representing in excess of 50% of farm plastics placed on the market during that year. An estimated 55,000 farmers availed of this collection service over the course of 2004.

Under the IFFPG scheme, producers apply an environmental protection contribution, EPC, 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 EPC levy applied is set by the company to ensure that its operational costs are covered. Manufacturers and importers who do not participate in the approved scheme, that is, self-compliers, are required under the regulations to operate a deposit and refund scheme, equating to a deposit-refund of €254 per tonne of farm plastic purchased-returned, for the collection and recovery of waste plastics, as well as comply with other onerous reporting requirements to local authorities.

The acceptance of inorganic farm waste at civic amenity sites is a matter for the individual local authorities engaged in the operation and management of these sites and for private operators also directly involved in the provision of such services. In broad terms, civic amenity sites are provided by local authorities to enable householders to bring a wide range of recyclable waste arising in the domestic sector for reception, storage and onward transfer to appropriate processing facilities. These recycling centres are not intended for general use by the commercial, industrial, construction or agricultural sectors. Responsibility for waste management in these sectors rests with the individual firms concerned and must be carried out in accordance with their legal obligations under the Waste Management Acts 1996-2003 and regulations made thereunder.

Notwithstanding the above, in light of the consistent and steady progress achieved by IFFPG since its inception, I am anxious to build on the success of the farm plastics scheme. In this context, I recently announced, in conjunction with the IFFPG, the launch of a feasibility study and pilot scheme to extend the operation of the scheme to recover other waste materials arising on farms such as fertiliser bags and used chemical containers that require environmentally sound and cost effective recovery outlets.