David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 160: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if his Department has carried out research into the amount of residual waste that might need to be treated by incineration annually; if his Department has an estimate of the capacity of the proposed incinerator plants in the State; his views on incineration as a method of dealing with waste; his policy on this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43354/08]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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The Programme for Government signalled the further development of waste and resource policy in the direction of sustainability and, in particular, to move away from mass burn incineration towards alternative technologies. Arising from a commitment in the Programme, a major international review of waste management strategy is now under way. This will inform the Government's approach to waste prevention and minimisation and to diversion of waste from landfill. This review will examine, in particular, the emergence of new technologies in waste management, particularly those for the mechanical and biological treatment of waste, which can reduce the need for incineration or landfill.

At present there are no municipal waste incinerators in Ireland and my Department has no function in determining the number, type, location or capacity of any such facilities that may be constructed. Such projects would be advanced by private sector service providers or by local authorities, generally by way of a public private partnership. It is a matter for the promoters of such projects to seek and obtain the necessary regulatory approvals, i.e. planning permission and a waste licence.

In carrying out their functions, planning authorities, including An Bord Pleanála, and the EPA, in regard to waste licensing, act independently of the Minister. The approved capacity of individual facilities is a matter for determination through these processes, as provided for in the Planning and Development and Waste Management Acts.

My view generally is that undue emphasis on incineration as the cornerstone of waste management policy is detrimental to the development of alternative solutions. The current review of waste policy may well indicate a continuing role for incineration in our future waste management strategy but I do not envisage it being on anything like the scale that was previously envisaged. Data available to my Department from the National Waste Report were used to extrapolate that by 2016, and having met EU landfill diversion targets, the volume of waste requiring further treatment could potentially be reduced to some 400,000 tonnes, provided that sufficient capacity for the mechanical and biological treatment of waste can be developed in that timeframe.