Vol. 522 No. 4
13 Ms Clune asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the criteria used in setting up the forum to develop a construction and demolition waste strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18639/00]
In accordance with waste legislation and policy, the construction industry bears the primary responsibility for the environmentally sound management of construction and demolition waste. In the first instance, as an alternative to the imposition of statutory controls and obligations, the Government's preferred approach is to afford a relevant business sector an opportunity to formulate and implement proposals for an appropriate voluntary producer responsibility initiative. This approach is intended to facilitate the business sector concerned, by enabling it to bring its expertise to bear to devise workable and least-cost arrangements that are sensitive to both environmental and commercial requirements. In the absence of a satisfactory business-led initiative, it would then be open to me, as Minister, to introduce mandatory producer responsibility obligations under the 1996 Act, or other alternative measures.
