Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 270: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he treats or proposes to treat solid waste landfill sites as carbon sinks and to take credit for the carbon stored in them, notwithstanding that atmospheric carbon is not extracted and sequestered in landfill and that both carbon dioxide and methane are emitted by such sites; the information he has or proposes to gather as to the role of landfill sites in the net reduction of greenhouse gases, account being taken of such emissions; his response to research indicating that the carbon storage associated with landfills could be of a magnitude as to cause them to be considered net carbon sinks with respect to greenhouse gas emissions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12716/06]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Accounting for sequestered carbon in national inventories of greenhouse gas emissions must follow guidelines provided by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. At present, neither the Environmental Protection Agency, which is responsible for Ireland's national inventory, nor other EU national administrations treat landfill sites as carbon sinks in this context. However, I expect that the EPA will keep abreast of any EU and wider international developments on carbon contained in solid waste landfills and if necessary adjust our accounting practice.