Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 35: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his policy on waste management with particular reference to reduction, reuse, recycling, incineration and landfill; the number of incinerators operating; the number pending; the number of landfills in operation; if he will set out the most and least desirable of all the options; the way this will determine policy in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9542/10]

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.

Accordingly Government policy in relation to waste management remains grounded in the internationally recognised hierarchy of waste options. Under this hierarchy the most favoured option is waste prevention, followed by minimisation, reuse, recycling, recovery and the least favoured option of disposal to landfill.

The programme for Government agreed in 2007, and the renewed programme for Government agreed in October 2009, included a number of objectives relating to waste management, among them a commitment to carry out an international review of waste management plans, practices and procedures and to act on the conclusions. An important milestone was reached late in 2009 with the delivery of the report of consultants engaged to carry out a study to underpin the review. This report provides the basis for putting in place the policies that we now need to mark a new departure in our approach to waste management.

I am utilising the report's recommendations in developing a new waste policy statement, which I will bring to Government, and publish for public consultation shortly. This will provide certainty for those in the waste management sector by implementing a resource management approach to waste which will have inevitable consequences for the scale and location of residual waste infrastructure. The overall approach was endorsed by Government on 9 February 2010.

My Department has no function in determining the number, type, location or capacity of any waste management facilities that may be constructed. The EPA is the national repository for waste management statistics and the most recent available information in respect of waste infrastructure sought can be found in the 2008 national waste report available on the EPA's website at www.epa.ie/downloads/pubs/waste/stats/.