I am sure the matters Senator Ryan and I wish to raise are minor in comparison with the budget, but I am delighted the Minister of State, Deputy Dan Wallace, is here to respond to them. I am concerned about the companies that have been licensed to dispose of waste, including hazardous and domestic waste. There have been alarming media reports that many waste disposal companies have not operated in accordance with the licences they were granted. Some abuses have been serious, as we have discovered that thousands of tonnes of dangerous waste have been dumped in quarries in County Wicklow. Streams and rivers in the area have been contaminated.
A waste disposal company, which trades as Dublin Waste, has offices in my constituency in Sheriff Street and in East Wall. The company is not a good neighbour to the communities in those areas and there have been difficulties with the operation of the yard at the company's headquarters. As if that was not bad enough, Dublin Waste has been convicted of six charges of misconduct, five of which it pleaded guilty to. The problem is that the company seems to be able to get a waste disposal licence despite its convictions. It is a serious matter that a company has been convicted of abuses and illegal activities, but the penalties that have been imposed, of about £1,500, are very low. The company has made a profit of hundreds of thousands of pounds from its policy of illegally dumping waste. The taxpayer pays for the collection of waste from hospitals and local authorities, but Dublin Waste and other companies that collect the waste have engaged in illegal activity.
I want to know what the Minister for the Environment and Local Government, who is responsible for this area, proposes to do about the company. I heard him trumpeting on "Morning Ireland" that he will do great things in relation to waste management, but what action does he intend to take? When will he ensure that we have a meaningful and properly supervised waste management programme, operated by companies within the law, to the satisfaction of communities? What does the Minister intend to do about companies that are clearly abusing their licences? Does he intend to revoke the licences? Will he tell local authorities that any company which has been convicted in the courts should not be given a licence? Will he assert himself as Minister of State or just go on morning radio programmes, make a few comments to the media and leave it at that?