Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 938: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government when the international review of waste management strategy will be published; if he will confirm that the closing date for submissions and observations with regard to the review was mid-June 2009 and that meetings were held with some interested parties after this date to the exclusion of others; if a meeting was held with waste industry representatives, the date it was held, the minutes taken and the names of those in attendance; the reason this group was facilitated after the closure of the submission period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38187/09]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

As provided for in the Programme for Government, my Department initiated the major review of waste management policy foreseen in the Programme and designed to support the necessary legal, institutional and policy framework to achieve international best practice in the management of waste. This involved a comprehensive examination of a broad range of waste management issues, including in respect of regional waste management planning, regulation issues and infrastructure provision.

As a first step in initiating the review a steering group was established comprising of representatives of the Department and of the other public bodies with statutory responsibility in the area of waste management and three experts who were nominees of the Minister and acting in a personal and non-representative capacity. The purpose of the steering group was to guide the progress of the review.

Also, to ensure maximum stakeholder involvement a broader consultative group was established to receive periodic briefings from the consultants and were also invited to make submissions to the consultants. Stakeholders invited to nominate up to three representatives to this group included: · Environmental Protection Agency, · Competition Authority, · Irish Waste Management Association, · City and County Managers Association, · Cré · IBEC, · Repak, · Comhar, · Environmental NGOs, · Forfás, · Small Firms Association, · ICTU, · Department of Finance, · Department of Enterprise, Trade & Employment, · Department of Agriculture& Food, · Combat Poverty Agency, · Community and Voluntary Pillar of Social Partnership · National Consumer Agency, · Confederation of European Waste-to Energy Plants, · Construction Industry Federation, · Alcohol Beverage Federation of Ireland, · Consumer Association of Ireland

and

· relevant academics.

In order to keep costs to a minimum my Department facilitated some of the larger consultations undertaken by the consultants by providing the venue and equipment while a large number of further consultations with different stakeholders were also undertaken at other venues by the consultants. My Department for reasons of impartiality and to insure the independence of the process had no other role in the consultation process undertaken as part of the International Review of Waste Management Policy. I understand that the consultants sought at all times to facilitate stakeholder views and inputs to the extent possible up until the final report was delivered on 29 September 2009. I am currently examining the report and its recommendations and I will be publishing it shortly.

My Department and I hold regular consultations with a broad range of stakeholders in the context of the ongoing implementation of Government policy on waste management. Consulting widely, with a range of stakeholders, is designed to ensure that my Department and I have as full as possible an understanding of the issues and concerns of stakeholders and are therefore in a position to address them, where it is possible and appropriate to do so. Such consultations are also useful to assist me and my Department in keeping up to date on the development of new waste management technologies.