Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 267: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he is satisfied with the operation of the WEEE scheme to date; the position regarding the workings of the WEEE monitoring group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2892/08]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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The WEEE Directive has been very successfully implemented in Ireland. During 2006, the first full year of operation, 31,500 tonnes of household WEEE was collected. This represents approximately 3.5 million electrical and electronic products or 7.4kg per inhabitant. This is almost double the 4 Kgs target the WEEE Directive requires Ireland to achieve by the end of 2008 and indicates widespread public support for the scheme.

Under the terms of the WEEE Directive, financing the recycling of electrical and electronic equipment is solely a producer responsibility. Two collective compliance schemes, functioning under the responsibility of producers, are operating in Ireland. These compliance schemes, WEEE Ireland and the European Recycling Platform, are responsible for the recycling of all household WEEE deposited at designated collection points. These include civic amenity facilities and retail outlets. The compliance schemes are also responsible for ensuring that recovered WEEE is recycled in an environmentally sound manner and for putting in place tracking and auditing systems for materials recovery in line with the requirements of the Directive.

An increasing proportion of this WEEE is now recycled in Ireland following the establishment of several new WEEE recycling and treatment facilities since August 2005. My Department is working with relevant stakeholders through the WEEE Monitoring Group to ensure that further progress is made.