Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Question 894: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his views on whether a system for subsidising compost containers should be made available on a national basis. [26913/08]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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Arrangements for the supply of subsidised home composting containers are an operational matter for individual local authorities. While my Department's Waste Recycling Infrastructure Capital Grants Scheme provides assistance towards the provision of materials recovery and biological treatment facilities, including centralised composting facilities, direct subvention of householders by my Department is not envisaged at this stage. However I understand that many local authorities already provide compost bins at subsidised prices.

Full implementation of the National Strategy on Biodegradable Waste will involve a range of measures, including home composting and the segregated collection of biodegradable waste, 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 Programme for Government, which will in part focus on the how best to advance the use of the full range of measures available for waste management.

Furthermore 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 regional waste management plans, including the promotion by local authorities of home composting.