Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

611. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the policy of the Government concerning commercial incineration; his views on two recent European Union reports (details supplied) relevant to this issue; the steps the Government plans to take in response; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7227/17]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

My role as Minister is to provide a comprehensive legislative and policy framework through which the relevant regulatory bodies, such as local authorities and the Environmental Protection Agency, operate.

Taking account of our traditional reliance on landfill and the fact that the National Waste Report from 2012 indicates that almost 58% of our municipal waste recovered is exported for recovery, Government policy, set out in A Resource Opportunity,acknowledges very clearly that Ireland requires an adequate network of quality waste treatment facilities. Over-reliance on the export of waste not only means we forgo exploiting the resource contained in our waste, it also makes the State very vulnerable in terms of our ability to manage our waste, which in turn can lead to landfill capacity issues such as those which arose last year when emergency measures were required to make additional landfill available.

In that context, notwithstanding the progress made and the continued emphasis placed on prevention and recycling, energy recovery, including anaerobic digestion, co-incineration in cement kilns and waste to energy have a role to play both in terms of delivery of the Government’s waste policy objectives and meeting our obligations under the EU Waste Framework, Landfill and Renewable Energy Directives.

In line with the provisions of the Waste Management Act 1996, the preparation and adoption of a waste management plan, including in respect of infrastructure provision, is the statutory responsibility of the local authority or authorities concerned. 

I am aware of the reports referred to in the question and would like to take this opportunity to highlight the fact that the three Waste Management Plans made in May 2015 fully reflect national and EU waste management policy in terms of the application of the waste hierarchy, in exploiting waste as a resource and in reducing the disposal of waste at landfill.