Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 623: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the progress made on the commitment given in the programme for Government to ensure the implementation of the national strategy on biodegradable waste. [17971/08]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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Implementation of the National Strategy on Biodegradable Waste involves a range of measures including waste prevention, home composting, segregated collection of biodegradable waste for the generation of compost, and the introduction of Mechanical Biological Treatment (MBT) facilities as one of a range of technologies to treat residual waste. To assist in ensuring that our waste management system can act in support of these objectives my Department has initiated the major review of waste management policy provided for in the Government Programme, which will in part focus on how best to advance the use of the full range of technologies available for waste management, including MBT.

Source separated collection of organic waste, or 'brown bin' collection, is a critical element of the Strategy. These services are already in place in some areas, principally in Waterford city and county and Galway city, and plans for the roll-out of brown bins are at an advanced stage in many local authority areas, including in excess of 200,000 households by early 2009 in Fingal and Dublin City Council. It is also anticipated that segregated collections will be initiated in the Clare-Kerry-Limerick region and further expanded in the south east in 2009. Pilot schemes have also been carried out in other local authority areas, including a current pilot scheme in Louth involving 10,000 households, in preparation for more widespread provision of these services.

My Department will shortly issue a circular letter to all local authorities seeking implementation, as rapidly as possible, of the measures for the management of biowaste within the various statutory regional waste management plans, including the promotion of home composting and the provision of source separated collections for organic waste.