Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 11 Apr 2000

Vol. 517 No. 6

Written Answers. - Waste Management.

Ulick Burke

Question:

301 Mr. U. Burke asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he will grant assist a pilot scheme for recycling for a town in County Galway in order to give a lead to the local authority in the problem of waste management; if EU assistance is available for this scheme if it is found to be feasible; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10700/00]

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment and Local Government (Mr. D. Wallace):

I have no information on any proposed pilot recycling scheme in County Galway.

Emerging local and regional waste management plans provide for improved waste services and the development of an integrated waste management infrastructure which will facilitate the achievement of ambitious waste recovery and recycling targets. Typically, these plans provide for the segregation at source and separate collection of dry recyclable and organic materials in urban areas; extended networks of "bring" facilities for recyclable materials in rural areas; the development of an integrated range of waste infrastructure, including civic amenity sites, transfer stations, materials recovery facilities and centralised biological and thermal treatment facilities.

It is imperative that these plans be adopted and implemented by local authorities as soon as possible.

The Government will directly support the delivery of improved waste management services and infrastructure. Some £650 million is earmarked for capital investment in the development of waste management infrastructure under the National Development Plan 2000-2006. Of this, some £100 million in Exchequer-EU funding will be provided to support the development of requisite waste recovery infrastructure over the life of the plan.

It is the intention to expand upon the policy issues and guidance outlined in the 1998 policy statement "Changing our Ways" with the publication this year of another policy statement focusing on waste minimisation, recycling and recovery generally. This will outline the scope of measures to be undertaken in the interests of a sustained improvement in our recycling performance.