Statutory responsibility for the implementation of the regional waste management plans, including the provision of recycling infrastructure, rests with the local authority (or local authorities) concerned and my Department has no function in this regard.
However, since 2002 my Department has allocated over €90 million in capital grants to assist local authorities in the provision of recycling and recovery services. The projects assisted include bring bank networks, civic amenity sites, materials recovery, composting and biological treatment facilities. In addition, my Department has allocated some €12 million since 2003 to local authorities to assist in the subvention of the operating costs of recycling facilities.