Vol. 455 No. 8
66 Mr. M. McDowell asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to a proposal to build a major waste incinerator plant in Ringsend, Dublin 4 designed to incinerate hospital and medical waste; if the Government favours the building of such a plant having regard to the stated policy objectives of the Government in the programme A Government of Renewal. [12961/95]
92 Mr. M. McDowell asked the Minister for Health the instructions or guidance, if any, he has given to the health boards in relation to the burning of hospital waste by incineration in accordance with the programme A Government of Renewal. [12969/95]
93 Mr. M. McDowell asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to a proposal by Waste to Energy Limited to build and operate a plant for the incineration of hospital waste at Ringsend, Dublin 4: the guidance or instructions, if any, he has issued to hospitals or health boards in relation to the use of any such facility; and whether he will make a statement on the use of incineration for hospital and medical waste having regard to the Government's stated policy objectives. [12970/95]
94 Mr. M. McDowell asked the Minister for Health the instructions or guidelines, if any, which have been issued by his Department to health boards and State-funded hospitals in relation to the possible use by such State-funded institutions of the incinerator to be built by a company (details supplied) at Pigeon House Road in Dublin, in view of remarks reported to have been made by the Minister for Finance in a paper (details supplied); and the steps, if any, he intends to take in order to prevent the incineration of hospital and medical waste in accordance with the policy outlined in the programme A Government of Renewal. [12971/95]
Limerick East): I propose to take Questions Nos. 66, 92, 93 and 94 together.
The commitment in the Government's policy document, A Government of Renewal, is to bring forward a programme to replace existing incinerators for the disposal of clinical and hospital waste with new non-incineration technologies.
My Department proposes to implement this commitment by arranging for tenders to be invited from specialist waste disposal contractors for the provision of a collection and non-incineration disposal service. The tendering process will be in accordance with the EU tendering procedures for public procurement. Consultations with the health agencies are continuing and contract documentation is in course of preparation.
