Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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Question 36: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if his policy on incineration in waste management has been changed in view of the High Court's ruling on the 21 December 2009 that Dublin City Council's decision to change the capital's waste collection system is invalid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2475/10]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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The Programme for Government agreed in 2007 signalled a fundamental change of policy in relation to waste management. Reflecting the ambition of the Programme commitment, I have repeatedly made clear that incineration can no longer be the cornerstone of Irish waste policy, and that it is the Government's intention not to support the provision of excessive incineration capacity but to maximise the diversion of waste for reuse, recycling, composting or anaerobic digestion. I have made my policy position clear to Dublin City Council on a number of occasions and have drawn their attention to the risks involved in proceeding with an incinerator with a very high level of capacity.

The Programme's objectives to implement this policy change included a commitment to carry out an international review of waste management plans, practices and procedures and to act on the conclusions. The report, by a group of Irish and international consultants engaged to carry out a major study to underpin the conclusion of the review, was published in November 2009.

This Report marks a new departure in our approach to waste management. I will be bringing proposals for the implementation of the recommendations in the report to Government as soon as possible in 2010. The Report of the International review provides the framework for waste policy in the coming years and certainty for those in the waste management sector, in particular in respect of investment decisions in relation to the provision of infrastructure and services.

The ruling of the High Court does not change my policy on incineration. It substantiates and augments the concerns which I have expressed, including to Dublin City Council, about the potential liabilities which could accrue to ratepayers and ultimately taxpayers as a result of the scale of the proposed incinerator which they propose to build.