Written answers

Wednesday, 25 January 2006

Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government

Environmental Policy

8:00 pm

Photo of Dan BoyleDan Boyle (Cork South Central, Green Party)
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Question 1462: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of meetings that have occurred between him and officials and representatives of a company (details supplied); and the contents of such meetings detailing the changes to Government policy which have been brought about as a result. [1140/06]

Photo of Dick RocheDick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I understand that meetings took place between officials of my Department and the company in question in summer 2003 and that my predecessor, accompanied by officials, met representatives of the company early in 2004. At no point have I as Minister met with the company. There was no change in Government policy on waste management as a consequence of these meetings. The Department and I hold regular consultations with stakeholders in the context of the ongoing implementation of Government policy on waste management. This is designed to ensure that all concerns are understood and, where possible and appropriate, addressed.

Concerns about the implications of restrictions on the movement of waste were expressed to the Department by stakeholders from both the public and private sectors. Most notably, the Environmental Protection Agency in its 2001 waste database report recommended that the inter-regional movement and treatment of waste "should be provided for in appropriate circumstances".

The Government's waste management policy statement Taking Stock and Moving Forward, April 2004, recognised that the prohibition on all inter-regional movements of waste could be unduly restrictive in terms of securing the development of waste infrastructure, and the objectives of local authority waste management plans. Most waste facilities currently in place are not subject to conditions which limit the geographic area from which they can take waste. In fact the absence of such restrictions has traditionally allowed local authorities to manage capacity constraints by providing for inter-regional movement of waste. Accordingly, the policy statement had provided for an examination of the issues arising in terms of the interrelationship between regional boundaries and waste facilities.

I therefore issued a ministerial direction under section 60 of the Waste Management Act last year to recognise the need for inter-regional movement of waste last year where that supported the rational implementation of Government waste management policy. This was to prevent a situation arising whereby it would be legal to export waste to continental Europe, or further afield, for treatment but not across county boundaries within Ireland. Such a situation was completely contrary to the proximity principle and it would have been irrational to let it continue. Sound environmental policy required a more flexible policy and that is what my policy direction aims to achieve.

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