Vol. 560 No. 1
913 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he has re-examined the position as outlined in the answer to Parliamentary Question No. 367 of 20 November 2001 which ruled out the possibility of a subsidy from public funds for the ongoing costs of recycling operations; his plans to ensure that recycling becomes economic; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1386/03]
As indicated in the reply to Question No. 367 of 20 November 2001, it is not proposed to provide a subsidy from public funds for the ongoing operational costs of private sector recycling projects.
In accordance with the ‘polluter pays' principle – of which producer responsibility is a fundamental element – it is right that producers should take responsibility and contribute towards the waste management costs of products which they place on the market. In support of this approach two successful producer responsibility initiatives already operate in Ireland in the areas of packaging waste and farm plastics waste, Repak in the case of packaging waste and the Irish Farm Films Producers Group in the case of farm plastics. In the case of the Repak scheme, membership fees contributed by producers are used to provide a subsidy for the collection for recycling of packaging waste from both the household and commercial sectors. In the past two years Repak paid almost €20 million in direct subsidy to waste operators for the collection of packaging waste, providing significant economic support and stimulus to the sector. Further producer responsibility initiatives are proposed for other waste streams, including end-of-life vehicles, tyres and waste electronic and electrical equipment. These initiatives, together with the increasing cost of landfilling waste, will further stimulate and improve the economics of recycling in Ireland in the years ahead.
