Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 243: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he or his Department have received correspondence from a company (details supplied) in County Kildare; his plans to address this matter urgently; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9866/08]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 248: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he has responded to communications from a company (details supplied) with regard to the operation of the waste electronical and electric equipment scheme; his views on the concerns raised by that company with regard to the licensing system in operation by WEEE Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9939/08]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 243 and 248 together.

All correspondence received from the company referred to in the Question has been responded to. Under the terms of the WEEE Directive, financing the environmentally sound management, including 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 ensuring that all recovered household WEEE is managed 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. They do not, however, have a licensing function.

The compliance schemes are also responsible for the procurement of the environmentally sound management, including recycling, of all household WEEE deposited at designated collection points. These include civic amenity facilities and retail outlets.

It is up to each commercial enterprise to source its own feed stock for its recycling and/or refurbishment operations. It is not appropriate for Government to interfere in the market.

Strategic guidance on the implementation and operation of the WEEE Directive is being provided through the WEEE Monitoring Group which has identified the reuse of appliances, having regard to sustainable environmental best practice and/or health and safety requirements, as a priority objective.

In order to promote and maximise opportunities for the reuse of appliances, my Department brought a group of stakeholders together during 2007. This group included representatives of producers (some of whom have their own reuse programmes), retailers, the waste management sector, the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs and the social economy sector. Following from this, a reuse protocol is being developed, which will set out the responsibilities of all stakeholders. It is envisaged that this process will be completed in 2008.