Vol. 560 No. 3
233 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Finance if the European Investment Bank intends to finance waste management infrastructure here in the near future in view of the fact the EIB has financed 21 projects in other countries. [2493/03]
I am not aware of any intention on the part of the European Investment Bank to become involved in lending for waste management infrastructure projects in Ireland in the near future. The national development plan set an investment target of €825 million towards the provision of waste infrastructure and the majority of this investment was intended to be secured through private finance under PPP arrangements. As part of the overall investment target, a capital grants scheme, co-funded by European Regional Development Fund funds, will provide assistance towards the provision of recycling, material recovery and biological treatment facilities. In addition, since the launch of the NDP there has emerged an apparently well resourced private industry which has already demonstrated its capacity to develop large scale waste facilities out of its own resources. The sources of funding for any private sector involvement in waste management infrastructure would be a matter for the entities involved in the first instance.
