Vol. 457 No. 7
8 Mr. Moynihan asked the Minister for the Environment in view of the likely closing of most hospital incineration facilities this year, the nature of the consultations, if any, between his Department and the Department of Health; and the result to date of such consultations. [12577/95]
18 Mr. Morley asked the Minister for the Environment the plans, if any, he has, whether relating to his Department alone or in conjunction with the Department of Health, to investigate or promote alternatives to incineration for hospital waste. [12575/95]
25 Mr. Moynihan asked the Minister for the Environment the plans, if any, he has, whether relating to his Department alone or in conjunction with the Department of Health, to investigate or promote alternatives to incineration for hospital waste. [12576/95]
36 Mr. Morley asked the Minister for the Environment the nature of the consultations, if any, between his Department and the Department of Health in relation to the likely closure of most hospital incineration facilities this year; and the result to date of such consultations. [12578/95]
40 Mr. Hughes asked the Minister for the Environment the investigations, if any, undertaken into waste disposal techniques that have a similar volume reduction capacity to incineration; and the result thereof. [12580/95]
54 Mr. Hyland asked the Minister for the Environment the investigations, if any, undertaken into waste disposal techniques that have a similar volume reduction capacity to incineration; and the result thereof. [12579/95]
144 Mr. M. McDowell asked the Minister for the Environment if his Department has consulted with the Department of Health regarding hospital waste incineration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12961/95]
146 Ms F. Fitzgerald asked the Minister for the Environment his views on incineration as a method of waste disposal. [14659/95]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 8, 18, 25, 36, 40, 54, 144 and 146 together.
As stated in reply to Parliamentary Question No. 117 of 13 June 1995, there is a wide variety of processes, both in use and in course of development, for the treatment or disposal of different kinds of waste. My Department, the Environmental Protection Agency and other interested public authorities keep themselves generally informed about these processes but are not involved in their development or operation. The indications are that no other waste disposal technique of general application can reduce solid waste volume at a rate similar to incineration.
Waste incineration is used extensively within the OECD countries and is regulated by a number of EU Directives. Irish environmental legislation, in particular the Environmental Protection Agency Act, 1992, provides for licensing of waste incineration activities on the basis of best practicable standards; where appropriate, this includes the application of EU standards.
Only certain hazardous wastes at on-site industrial facilities and hospital wastes are at present incinerated in Ireland. As regards hazardous waste incineration, it has already been determined, following a full review, that Government assistance will not be provided for a contract incineration facility. On-site incineration of hazardous wastes, subject to strict Environmental Protection Agency licensing, and export of remaining limited quantities of wastes requiring off-site high-temperature incineration, represent satisfactory environmental management options for this waste stream to which minimisation and recovery methods are also increasingly being applied.
As regards hospital waste incinceration, consultations took place between my Department and the Department of Health in relation to the application to hospital incinerators of the licensing provisions of the Environmental Protection Agency Act, 1992. Integrated pollution control licensing applies to all new activities for incineration of hospital waste and to existing activities related to hospitals with more than 200 acute in-patient beds.
As Minister for Health, I took a number of initiatives of which the Deputy may be aware in relation to health care risk waste. A disposal strategy, based on non-incineration technologies, was proposed to the health agencies and pilot projects involving microwaving of wastes were initiated. Since then, the policy agreement, A Government of Renewal, affirmed the commitment to replace existing incinerators for the disposal of clinical and hospital waste with new non-incineration technologies and action on foot of this commitment is being pursued by the Minister for Health and the health care agencies involved. In this connection, I refer to the replies by the Minister for Health to Parliamentary Questions No. 88 of 7 June 1995 and No. 73 of 27 June 1995.
Incineration of waste with energy recovery is recognised as a valid source of alternative energy. The Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Energy and Communications has recently announced details of a special initiative to promote the production of electricity from biomass, including forestry, agricultural and other wastes.
I thank the Minister for his detailed reply. Does he not agree the Government seems to lack direction on the question of hospital waste? As he knows, an application was recently made for an incinerator in Ringsend which would dispose of hospital waste. It was passed from one Department to the other — from the Department of the Environment to the Department of Health to the Department of Transport, Energy and Communications — but the buck did not seem to stop anywhere. People found it difficult to get a clear and final answer as to the Government's position on incineration and perhaps the Minister could clear that up.
I can only refer the Deputy to the statement by the Minister for Health, who has issued a policy document on the management of waste in the health services. The primary aims of the document are to minimise the impact of waste in the environment and to bring about better conditions for those handling waste. The document goes into some detail; I will not outline it to the House but will circulate it to the Deputy.
That is fine but the frustrating aspect of the matter is that the health boards used to be responsible for getting rid of hospital waste; it is now up to each hospital, but the only body to whom hospitals can give their waste is to an incineration operation, which has subsequently lost its licence and must apply for a new one. This is a thorny issue politically and many people are opposed to it but, ultimately, each hospital has been given responsibility. They must get rid of hospital waste. How will they do so? This matter is being passed from Billy to Jack.
The strategy in the Programme for Government is to phase out incineration of hospital waste. From last month, hospitals with over 200 beds need a licence from the Environmental Protection Agency to incinerate waste. The Minister for Health intends to have a health care waste management strategy that envisages four waste treatment centres and suggests new technologies involving non-incineration methods, for example, shredding and disinfecting by microwave. When I was Minister for Health I introduced that pilot plan to deal with hospital waste in Cork. It might become the national model and is under discussion with the health agencies involved. The specific commitments in the Programme for Government will be implemented.
Is the Minister aware of a submission by a consultant in the Adelaide Hospital to the Select Committee on Finance and General Affairs when it discussed the Waste Bill. He stated that the only safe way to get rid of some medicines and so on was by incineration. Is the Minister saying it will not be permissible to incinerate such waste? Is the Minister satisfied that using microwaves is an effective way of getting rid of dangerous substances? The system was developed in France but is not used extensively there.
The first priority is to ensure that the method of disposal is safe. The idea of waste minimisation will apply and there will be streams of waste. Some medicines may not be suitable for disposal other than through incineration and that will be open to the authorities. However, the bulk of the waste, for example, syringes and plastic containers which would not pose a threat in themselves, could be disinfected. The method proposed is one of a number. Another would be to grind them to a powder and disinfect the powder either through an autoclave, which is steam cleaning, disinfectant or microwave. Those options are being examined and best international standards and practice will apply. There will be a different reaction if we go down the road of incineration per se.
