Vol. 453 No. 8
3 Miss Quill asked the Minister for the Environment if he intends to introduce a code of waste prevention or reduction to his own Department and to other Government Departments in accordance with the key principle set out in the recently published Waste Bill, 1995. [10088/95]
As I indicated in reply to Question No. 54 on 8 March 1995, my Department is developing guidelines for environmental management throughout the public sector. This process will include formulating plans which incorporate waste minimisation, green procurement and recycling, as well as energy conservation measures; the latter are already being promoted by the Department of Transport, Energy and Communications and the Irish Energy Centre.
Section 30 of the Waste Bill, 1995 requires the Minister for the Environment to promulgate a programme with regard to the prevention, minimisation and recovery of waste arising from the performance by public authorities of their functions. I intend to promulgate this statutorily-based programme as soon as possible after the enactment of the Bill.
In the introduction to the recently published Waste Bill we are told that the essential purpose of that Bill is to prevent and reduce waste production. I refer to solid waste. Will the Minister admit that Government Departments, and the Minister's Department is at the forefront, are key producers of waste? All Deputies will agree that every day our offices are bombarded with circulars, documents——
Propaganda.
——statements and papers of every kind from various Government Departments to the extent that our offices are becoming like sanitary landfills? One of the cleaning ladies told me recently that approximately five refuse sacks of waste paper are removed from the seven offices on the corridor where my office is located. Does the Minister propose setting a precedent for other sectors in regard to reducing the waste of paper?
We must strike a balance. If we did not supply information we would be accused of not being open. It is the policy of my Department, and that of my colleagues in Government, to be as generous as possible with information. Perhaps we could establish an E-mailing system and communicate electronically with the Deputy in the future, but I am sure most Members would prefer to be fully briefed on all Government decisions and policy matters. It is our ambition in the Department of the Environment to ensure that all such information is printed on recycled paper. The Government is committed to ensuring that the public sector lead the way in demonstrating best environmental management practice and my Department has taken a number of initiatives in that regard.
If the Minister and his Department do not introduce a code of practice for all Government Departments on this issue, they are in a poor position to demand that others such as householders, retailers, wholesalers and industry, cut back on their waste. Does the Minister accept that not all of the circulars and documents we receive every day are essential? Many are duplications of documents we already have.
I do not accept that. It is important that Deputies are briefed. I ensure Opposition spokespersons are briefed before my colleagues and I hope that detailed briefs on the new regulations on taxis and hackneys were received by the Deputy last night before they were circulated today. It is important that Deputies are kept informed in that way.
If paper is produced from farmed trees and recycled after use, it does not cause any major difficulties. We should not lose sight of the fact that communications are normal and important and in striking a balance I hope we do not run counter to the green strategy the Government is promoting.
Will the Minister carry out a survey among Members to establish how much material is sent out from Government offices each day and what proportion of it does not have a value beyond that of creating waste paper and difficulties for the cleaning ladies?
I will consider sending a circular around to find out that information.
The mountains of papers will come back to haunt the Minister.
The time for dealing with Priority Questions is exhausted but, in accordance with new procedures adopted recently by the House, we can deal with the two remaining questions.
