Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 8 Nov 2000

Vol. 525 No. 3

Written Answers. - Repak Limited.

Ivan Yates

Question:

337 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he has satisfied himself with the effective working of the Repak organisation in the context of revenue collection; and if he will delegate the Environmental Protection Agency to deal with enforcement rather than local authorities. [25021/00]

Minister for the Environment and Local Government (Mr. Dempsey)

Fees from member businesses finance Repak Ltd's activities. The company commenced this year with a substantial capital balance, and income is expected to exceed £10 million over the year. Revenue generated has to date been applied mainly to support the collection and recovery of packaging waste from the domestic waste stream, and in this regard funding has been provided in support of Kerbside Dublin, Gandon Enterprises Ltd., the Rehab Recycling Partnership, and a number of companies engaged in waste recovery activities. The company is also providing a free uplift service for in-house packaging waste generated by members this year. Repak recently announced details of a new payments scheme to incentivise waste contractors to recover additional volumes of packaging waste. Repak funding is also available for the establishment by local authorities of segregated household waste collection services such as that initiated in the Dublin region.

Some months ago, I appointed consultants to review and evaluate Repak's performance to date; the prospects for achieving Ireland's packaging waste recovery target for 2001, having regard to the activities of Repak and other relevant or prospective developments; and the additional measures or structures which appear to be required in order the meet Ireland's packaging waste recycling/recovery targets for 2006.

This review will include recommendations regarding further measures that could be undertaken by Repak Ltd. to support the recovery of packaging waste from the municipal waste stream, increase the recovery rate for packaging waste generally and support the development of indigenous reprocessing capacity for packaging waste.

I expect to have the final report of the consultants very shortly.

Each local authority is responsible for the enforcement of the Waste Management (Packaging) Regulations, 1997, within its functional area, and all authorities are expected to take requisite measures to ensure that packaging producers comply with their obligations under the regulations. The Environmental Protection Agency has been tasked with a range of special ised and complex functions, which are either inappropriate to, or require expertise which is unavailable to, local authorities generally. On this basis, it is not apparent that enforcement of the 1997 regulations is a function which is appropriate to the agency, or that it could reasonably be expected to deploy resources equivalent to those cumulatively available to local authorities around the country. However, I will review this matter in light of any relevant recommendations in the forthcoming consultancy report.

Question No. 338 taken with Question No. 106.

Questions Nos. 339, 340, 341, 342 taken with Question No. 323.

Question No. 343 taken with Question No. 110.

Question No. 344 taken with Question No. 148.

Question No. 345 taken with Question No. 266.

Question No. 346 taken with Question No. 307.

Question No. 347 taken with Question No. 280.