Vol. 411 No. 5
61 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for the Environment if he will outline the programmes of waste management including the segregation of waste so as to facilitate recycling, which have been developed by his Department in conjunction with local authorities; if he will further outline the details for each local authority which have initiated such campaigns; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
In accordance with the environment action programme, local authorities were directed last year to prepare recycling schemes for their areas, identifying recycling possibilities and setting out how to promote and assist such activity. All but a small number of local authorities have prepared such schemes and their progress is being followed.
The recycling grants scheme operated by my Department applies to private/ voluntary and to local authority activity. Grants have been allocated for the first time this year to a number of local authority projects. These include a grant of £100,000 towards the capital cost of the Kerbside project in Dublin; this initiative is being co-ordinated by the Dublin local authorities and Dublin Chamber of Commerce and will involve the collection of recyclable waste on a segregated basis.
I have recently announced my intention to commission a study to assess the overall potential for recycling in Ireland, and, inter alia, to consider current waste collection and disposal arrangements with a view to recommending improvements or new systems designed to optimise recycling performance.
