Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 179: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his views on the submission to the Joint Committee on Environment and Local Government by a person (details supplied) which states that there is little or no true recycling here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5242/06]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Government policy on waste management is firmly rooted in the waste hierarchy, an integrated waste management approach that places greatest emphasis on waste prevention, followed by minimisation, reuse, recycling, waste to energy and finally environmentally sustainable disposal of residual waste. National waste statistics in respect of all waste streams are published on an annual basis by the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA. The latest figures available on municipal waste generation are contained in the national waste report 2004, published by the agency last month, which reports that the recycling rate in the municipal waste stream has risen to 32.6% in 2004, up from 28.4% in 2003. The 2013 recycling target of 35% set in the Government's policy document Waste Management: Changing Our Ways, 1998, is almost achieved. Recovery rates for packaging waste in 2004 increased to 56%, exceeding Ireland's 2005 target recovery rate for this waste stream of 50% set out in EU Directive 94/62/EC on packaging and packaging waste.

The data in the 2004 report demonstrates the positive impact of a number of Government initiatives in the area of waste management in recent years as follows: the extension of segregated waste collection services for dry recyclables to 560,000 households by 2003; the increased availability of bring facilities with 1,929 bring banks and 69 civic amenity sites nationwide by 2004; greater use of pay by use waste charging to incentivise recycling; the race against waste public awareness campaign with its key message to "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle"; and the introduction of producer responsibility initiatives in the areas of packaging waste and waste electrical and electronic equipment.

The EPA National Waste Report 2004 indicates that 891,240 tonnes of non-hazardous waste destined for recovery was exported for recycling in 2004 which represents 73.8% of Irish waste recycling. A total of 26.2% of the total of recyclables collected were processed in Ireland. As noted by the EPA report, the export of recyclable waste materials is a trade that cannot be inhibited by member states. The OECD decision of C(92)39 final on the control of transboundary movements of wastes destined for recovery operations notes that the recovery of valuable materials and energy from wastes is an integral part of the international economic system and that well established markets exist for, and can contribute to, the collection and processing of such materials within member countries.

While international trade in waste is consistent with Government policy in so far as it supports improved performance in recycling, the Government recognises the value of a more developed recycling infrastructure in Ireland. A market development group was established by the Government in 2004 to identify market opportunities for materials recovered for recycling. A market development programme will be developed by the group in 2006.