Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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Question 66: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his views on the introduction of resource recovery units as part of the waste management policy of his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22542/06]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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National policy on waste management is based on the internationally accepted waste hierarchy. This places the prevention and minimisation of waste at the top of the hierarchy followed by reuse and recycling, with energy recovery from waste preferred to the least environmentally desirable outcome of landfilling. In line with this approach, my Department is actively supporting local authorities who have the statutory responsibility for waste management planning in Ireland.

The National Waste Prevention Programme being run by the Environmental Protection Agency includes grant aiding pilot local authority demonstration projects on waste prevention. Regulations introduced to implement individual waste stream recovery such as those on packaging waste, waste electrical and electronic equipment and end-of-life vehicles also encourage waste prevention and reuse.

In addition, significant grant aid is made available to local authorities to co-fund recycling facilities, including material recovery facilities, bring banks and civic amenity sites. Some €90m has been committed since 2002 in this regard. The impact of this can be seen in our national recycling rate which had grown to almost 34% by 2004, the latest year for which data is available.

There is also scope for other initiatives to further facilitate the public in reaching our ambitious national targets in regard to recycling and diversion of waste from landfill. Materials unwanted by individuals, households or businesses should where possible be seen as a resource capable of being further used. A contribution to this approach can be made by resource recovery mechanisms.

The Dublin region has identified resource recovery as an objective of its regional waste management plan and my Department understands that, led by Dublin City Council, a web based system is now being developed to facilitate the exchange of material, e.g. unwanted furniture which might otherwise become a waste, between individuals and households. I very much welcome such initiatives and urge other local authorities to support such developments which can complement the very extensive network of recycling facilities now being put in place.