Pádraic McCormack (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Question 520: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the confusion for people in the counties in Connacht where a person applying for a waste permit has to apply to Mayo County Council which clearly gives the impression to anyone reading the advertisement that this is a matter only affecting Mayo County Council; if it will be made a requirement of the advertisement that it would have to be clearly stated in large print which county the permit was being applied for even though the application is to Mayo County Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23471/06]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Waste Management (Collection Permit) Regulations, 2001 require applicants for waste collection permits to publish notice of their intention to make a permit application in a newspaper circulating in the area or areas in which the activity concerned is or will be carried on. To ensure that the public are well informed regarding the nature of the application, the newspaper notice must contain as a heading the words "APPLICATION TO [NAME OF THE RELEVANT LOCAL AUTHORITY] FOR A WASTE COLLECTION PERMIT RELATING TO ACTIVITIES IN [NAME OF RELEVANT LOCAL AUTHORITY AREA or AREAS]".

I am satisfied that the requirement to include details in the heading of the newspaper advertisement both of the administering local authorities and the local authority within whose area the activity will take place provides clarity to the public as to the area(s) to which a particular permit application relates.

The consideration of waste permit applications and the decision making process in relation to the granting of waste collection permits, as well as ensuring compliance with the requirements of the regulations, is a matter for the relevant local authority and my Department has no function in the matter.