Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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188. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the extent to which reliance on landfill waste disposal facilities continues to be monitored with particular reference to the utilisation of best practice in terms of reduce, reuse, recycle; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42192/17]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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European, national and regional waste policy are all predicated on the management of waste in line with the waste hierarchy, whereby the prevention, preparation for re-use, recycling and other recovery of waste are preferred (in that order) to the disposal of waste. Collectors of waste must conduct their activities in accordance with the relevant legislation and the conditions of their waste collection permits which require that waste is managed in line with the waste hierarchy. Enforcement of waste collection permit conditions is a matter for the relevant local authority.

Waste Management planning, including infrastructure provision, is the responsibility of local authorities under Part II of the Waste Management Act, 1996. The three Waste Management Planning Lead Authorities monitor on an on-going basis the generation and management nationally of municipal solid waste and other waste streams. Under section 60(3) of the Waste Management Act 1996, I am precluded from exercising any power or control in relation to the performance, in specific cases, by a local authority of their statutory functions under the Act.

The Government's policy of increasing the landfill levy to its current level of €75 per tonne has provided a real financial incentive for operators to divert as much material as possible from being disposed of at landfill. The application of this economic instrument has ensured that it is in the financial interest of collectors, who are competing for market share, to encourage effective recycling in an effort to minimise costs for operators and customers alike.

The success of the above policy and legislative measures to encourage waste prevention, preparation for re-use, recycling and other recovery has meant that  more waste can be put to environmentally sustainable and productive use as opposed to being buried in the ground. The statistics show that we have come a long way in a relatively short period of time in terms of improving our recycling rates. In this regard, National Waste Statistics - Reports and Bulletins are available to download at including the recently published table on Progress towards EU waste recycling, recovery and diversion targets.

My role as Minister is to provide a comprehensive legislative and waste policy framework through which the relevant regulatory bodies, such as the local authorities and the Environmental Protection Agency, operate. The waste collection system is subject to a number of regulatory controls, including the Waste Management Act, 1996 as amended and the Waste Management (Collection Permit) Regulations, 2007, S.I. No. 820 of 2007, as amended. In the interest of encouraging further waste prevention, flat-rate fees for kerbside household waste collection will be phased out over the period autumn 2017 to autumn 2018, as customers contracts come up for renewal. It is worth noting that the measure to phase out flat fees is not ‘new’ for about half of kerbside household waste customers, who are already on an incentivised usage pricing plan, i.e., a plan which contains a per lift or weight related fee.

To assist householders in managing their waste, the Regional Waste Management Planning Offices commenced a programme of education and awareness funded by my  Department earlier this year with radio advertisements encouraging the use of the brown bin and focusing on food waste prevention. This was backed up with social media campaigns to further encourage the use of the brown bin. The Regional Waste Management Planning Offices will continue to roll out waste awareness and education initiatives this year, re-focussing on the use of the brown bin, but also concentrating on improving and increasing recycling, waste prevention and the correct use of the kerbside collection system. My Department is also undertaking an awareness campaign to inform people about the phase out of flat rate fees, which began during the summer and will continue this year.