Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 9 December 2004
47 Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if it is his intention to introduce further regulations under sections 28 and 29 of the Waste Management Act 1996; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32747/04]
View answerRegulations are currently being drafted to implement EU directives on end-of-life vehicles and waste electrical and electronic equipment. Following on the success of producer responsibility initiatives already operating in the areas of packaging, farm plastics and construction and demolition wastes, work is underway, in co-operation with the relevant stakeholders, in developing further PRIs for newsprint and tyres. These initiatives are in line with EU and national policy on waste management which is firmly grounded on the internationally recognised waste hierarchy which prioritises waste prevention, minimisation, reuse, recycling, energy recovery and the environmentally sound disposal of residual waste which cannot be recycled or recovered. This is reflected in my Department's policy documents Changing our Ways, 1998, and Taking Stock, Moving Forward, which was published earlier this year. Both of these publications are available in the Oireachtas Library.
Other recent significant initiatives promoting, supporting and facilitating the prevention, minimisation and recovery of waste include the establishment of a market development group to identify market opportunities for materials recovered for recycling. It is hoped to publish a market development programme in the early part of 2005. The publication of a draft national waste prevention programme drawn up by a core prevention team established earlier this year in the EPA and the publication of a draft national biodegradable waste strategy setting out a range of integrated measures to achieve targets for 2013 took place earlier this year for public consultation.
