Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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Question 17: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that compact fluorescent bulbs, which use 80% less electricity than conventional light bulbs, are subject to a 50 cent EMF charge under the WEEE Directive while conventional, less energy-efficient bulbs are not subject to such a charge; if he has satisfied himself that with a situation whereby consumers are charged extra for choosing an environmentally friendly product; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16452/06]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The WEEE Directive allows producers to show the cost of recovering and recycling "historic" waste i.e. waste arising from electric and electronic products put on the market before 13 August 2005. These costs are referred to as Environmental Management Costs — or EMCs. They are not imposed by, or remitted to, the Government, but are paid by producers to the two collective compliance schemes operating in Ireland, WEEE Ireland and the European Recycling Platform who are operating a Producer Responsibility Initiative.

The EMCs currently applied show the costs of recycling based on data submitted by producers to the WEEE Register Society Limited, the industry-based national WEEE registration body, which has an independent Committee of Management. The WEEE Register assessed and approved the EMCs. The EMCs are currently under review and it will be for the WEEE Register to validate any revisions. My Department has no function in this regard.

Conventional filament light bulbs are specifically excluded from the scope of the WEEE Directive and its provisions do not apply to them. Compact fluorescent bulbs, however, are within the scope of the Directive and are therefore subject to the display of EMCs. Although my Department supports the use of energy efficient light bulbs, it must be borne in mind that, for waste management purposes, these bulbs are classified as hazardous and there is an associated cost with their treatment and recycling. The EMC amount of 50 cent on a compact fluorescent bulb reflects the cost of the environmentally sound management of these items as validated by the WEEE Register; however, this in common with the other EMCs is the subject of the current review referred to above.

The WEEE scheme has now been operating for almost nine months and the real environmental benefits of this new system for consumers and the environment are very apparent. WEEE is now being collected from over 180 collection points nationwide. All indications are that significant quantities of this waste type are being returned for recycling. In the period from 13 August 2005 to end of February this year 14,587 tonnes were collected nationally. This is the equivalent to an annual collection rate of 6.7kg per person and is particularly impressive against our national target under the WEEE Directive to reach 4kg per person by 2008. This figure also compares very favourably with the 5,510 tonnes of this waste type that was recovered in the whole of 2004 and indicates widespread public support for the implementation of the Directive.