Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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309. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will address a matter raised in correspondence in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork. [38955/14]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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Under the European Union (Household Food Waste and Bio-waste) Regulations 2013, household waste collectors are required to provide, or arrange for the provision of, a separate collection service for food waste from households, and householders are required to ensure that they either source segregate their food waste, keeping it separate from non-biodegradable materials, other waste and contaminants and make it available for collection by an authorised waste collector; or subject the food waste to a home composting process; or bring the food waste to an authorised facility with a view to its composting or anaerobic digestion or treatment in a way which fulfils a high level of environmental protection.

Enforcement of the Regulations is a matter for the local authorities and in cases where a collector has failed to provide an appropriate food waste collection service in a designated brown bin area, affected householders should contact the local authority concerned who have significant enforcement powers under the Regulations to secure compliance by both waste collectors and householders.

The successful roll-out of the brown bin is dependent on appropriate education and awareness measures being introduced to support households in using the brown bin correctly. In this regard my Department has worked with the Composting and Anaerobic Digestion Association of Ireland to develop a website; www.brownbin.ie, to provide the public with the information required to use the brown bin appropriately, including advice on the optimal methods for effective collection and storage of food waste. I am confident that initiatives such as this can assist the public in the diversion of their food waste towards more beneficial uses and ensuring that full value can be derived from this resource.