Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 28 Nov 2002

Vol. 558 No. 3

Written Answers. - Waste Management.

Michael D. Higgins

Question:

40 Mr. M. Higgins asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government his plans for the implementation of the commitment given in An Agreed Programme for Government to progressively extend door to door collections of recyclables to most remaining urban centres; if a timetable has been set for this project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23879/02]

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

Regional and local waste management plans provide for the introduction in urban areas of source segregation and separate collection of household waste. Currently, more than 200,000 homes in the Dublin area receive a separate collection service for dry recyclable materials, and the objective is to cover 80% of homes in the region.

Similar schemes are in place in Galway, Limerick and Waterford and parts of Kerry, Kildare, Louth, Longford, Meath and Tipperary. The roll out of segregated and separate collection services is contingent in large part on the availability of materials recovery facilities, where dry recyclables are sorted and aggregated for delivery to reprocessing outlets, and biological treatment facilities for organic waste. In addition, recycling by householders is facilitated by the steady expansion by local authorities of bring banks and civic amenity sites which accept a wide range of recyclable waste streams.

On 7 November 2002, I announced the allocation of up to €15 million in grant assistance towards the provision of recycling infrastructure. The grant scheme will primarily support the provision of "high in waste hierarchy" waste recovery infrastructure, which is provided for in, or consistent with the objectives of, local authority waste management plans. Eligible infrastructure includes civic amenity sites and other "bring" facilities, transfer stations and materials recovery and biological treatment facilities. This first round of allocations is intended to support the provision of more than 500 new "bring" bank sites around the country, compared to about 1300 sites currently, almost 20 new and expanded civic amenity sites, eight composting facilities and one expanded materials recovery facility, as well as the upgrading of many existing "bring" banks.