Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 598: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the new information he received which led to the claim that 1.3 million tonnes of Irish municipal waste, 40% of all municipal waste generated, can be dealt with through mechanical biological treatment; the person from whom he received that information; if he will make that information available for the public record; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25030/07]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

My Department in the normal course of business provides me with information and projections based on data from various sources but principally the National Waste Report produced annually by the Environmental Protection Agency. Such projections allow the impact of various policy options to be assessed. The scenario cited is based on projections to 2016 which take account of planned progress in waste prevention and recycling in order to quantify the amount of residual waste requiring pre-treatment and/or final disposal. This is estimated at 1.7m tonnes. High quality mechanical and biological treatment (MBT) capacity of just under 1 million tonnes per annum will enable Ireland to meet the landfill diversion targets under the Landfill Directive while reducing the amount requiring further treatment to about 400,000 tonnes; while MBT capacity of between 1.3m and 1.4m tonnes will enable us meet the more challenging Programme for Government target to landfill only 10% of all waste.