Joe Higgins
Question:46 Mr. Higgins (Dublin West) asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he will make a statement on the current policy of the Government on landfill. [20245/97]
Written Answers. - Waste Management.
The Government's overall policy in relation to waste management is outlined in our programme An Action Programme for the Millennium and related policy documents. It is based on a commitment to the waste hierarchy, prioritising first prevention and minimisation; second, recovery, and third, environmentally sustainable disposal.
In regard to landfill, our objectives include, in particular, the application of strict standards to the management of landfill sites and the diversion of 50 per cent of household waste away from landfill within 15 years. A range of measures is being pursued or developed to achieve these objectives.
The Waste Management (Licensing) Regulations, 1997 provide for the licensing by the Environmental Protection Agency of all public and private sector landfills and other significant waste disposal facilities. All new facilities, and certain existing facilities, are licensable with effect from 1 May 1997, and all existing landfill facilities will become licensable on a phased basis in the period up to March 1999. This licensing system will ensure that very high standards of environmental protection apply to the establishment, operation and aftercare of the facilities concerned.
Local authorities are required under the Waste Management Act, 1996 to make waste management plans specifying measures aimed at giving effect to the waste hierarchy. My Department is actively encouraging local authorities to carry out waste management strategy studies, preferably on an inter-authority basis, to provide a comprehensive, informed basis for waste management planning. The strategy studies provide a context for evaluating all the available options and for identifying the measures, or combination of measures, most likely to promote optimum waste management.
Approximately £8.7 million is available in financial assistance under the operational programme for environmental services 1994-99, to support capital expenditure on the provision of waste recovery and recycling facilities by local authorities and the private sector, and to assist the preparation of waste management strategy studies by regional and local authorities. Projects assisted include the development of civic amenity sites and sites for recyclables, home and municipal composting projects, and the provision of facilities for recycling waste plastic, paper, glass, textiles, green waste and construction and demolition waste.
The 50 per cent diversion target over 15 years, to which I have referred, takes account of the high proportion, that is 91 per cent of waste currently landfilled, and the unavoidable constraints on the immediate development of alternative infrastructure on the scale required. It also allows for the development and implementation by REPAK, the industry sponsored organisation, of appropriate systems to meet our national packaging waste recovery targets and give practical effect to the principle of producer responsibility.
I am satisfied that we are making, and will continue to make, satisfactory progress in developing our waste recovery infrastructure and reducing our relatively high dependence on the disposal of waste to landfills.