Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 441: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his success to date in the extension of eco-friendly waste management systems in both urban and rural areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15471/08]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 442: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government when it is expected to extend and expand recycling services, making such facilities available equally throughout the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15472/08]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 441 and 442 together.

Ireland has made significant progress over the past decade in recovering and recycling waste. Overall recovery rates have increased from 9% in 1998 to 36% in 2006. These increases in the proportion of waste diverted from landfill have been driven by a combination of factors, including increased awareness through the Race Against Waste campaign, the implementation of pay by use policies which incentivise householders to avail of recycling facilities, the widespread provision of segregated collections for dry recyclable materials and the provision of an expanded network of bring facilities and civic amenity sites. The latest data available indicate that at the end of 2006 local authorities operated 1,919 bring banks and 86 civic amenity sites.

An objective of the National Development Plan 2007-2013 is to continue support towards the provision of infrastructure that will maximise the value recovered in waste recycling. Since 2002, my Department has allocated some €120 million in capital grants to assist local authorities in the provision of recycling and recovery services. The projects assisted include bring bank networks, civic amenity sites, materials recovery, composting and biological treatment facilities. This funding is provided primarily from the Environment Fund, and is normally based on my Department meeting 75% of the cost and the relevant local authority funding the balance. I am committed to continuing to provide further funding to local authorities to assist them in the continued expansion of the recycling network.

I am also conscious of the escalating costs to local authorities of operating the substantially increased network of recycling facilities. Since 2003 my Department has allocated some €37 million to the authorities concerned towards covering these costs. Successful implementation of the National Strategy on Biodegradable Waste will also require increased availability of source separated collections of organic waste — (brown bin' collections) and my Department will shortly be issuing a circular to local authorities on intensifying the roll out of segregated collections for organic waste.