Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 458: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he is satisfied with the operation of recycling services by private refuse collectors in local authority areas; if standards and specifications for recycling are laid out in local authority contracts with the private refuse collectors, particularly with regard to new arrangements when householders have been told that brown and green bins are being collected at the same time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5360/12]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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The greater the degree of separation of different categories of waste by consumers and businesses, the easier it will be to reduce the proportion of our waste disposed of in landfill and to create the conditions for investment in much needed recovery and recycling infrastructure.

Waste presentation is largely determined by permit conditions and local bye-laws. The Waste Management (Collection Permit) Regulations 2007 provide that a permitted waste collector must source-segregate, treat or recover a specified proportion of waste collected, or class or classes of such waste, in such manner as may be specified by the relevant local authority. In 2008, my Department instructed local authorities to provide, as a matter of urgency, for the implementation of source-segregated collection for organic waste in urban areas.

In support of this, the Waste Management (Food Waste) Regulations 2009 require the segregation and recovery of food waste arising in the commercial sector. A Regulatory Impact Assessment is currently underway in relation to the placing of an obligation on waste collectors to provide or arrange for the separate collection of household food waste and its diversion from disposal to recovery and recycling.

Recent, and planned, increases to the landfill levy are also of importance, as they provide an economic mechanism to encourage the segregation of waste.

The National Waste Report 2009 states that a 2-bin service was provided to 72% of serviced households and a 3-bin service was provided to a further 24% of serviced households.

Notwithstanding the strong legal and policy framework, our improved performance and the likely impact of recent and anticipated changes, further progress is required. Waste collectors have an important role in that regard and I expect local authorities to enforce any breach of the terms of waste collection permits or local bye-law regimes vigorously. The Programme for Government commits to the development of a coherent national waste policy, adhering to the waste hierarchy, which will aim to minimise waste disposal in landfill and maximise recovery. I am prioritising this commitment. Relevant potential policy initiatives, such as the mandatory segregation of waste, will be addressed. Also of relevance is the work underway in relation to household waste collection market structures. I expect to be in a position to submit final proposals in relation to national waste policy and household waste collection markets to Government early this year.