Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 September 2014
35. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government in view of the controversy regarding the planned incinerator at Poolbeg and Greyhound Waste, his views on whether it is now time for elected representatives to take back responsibility for waste and recycling management; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34303/14]
View answerIn 2001, the Oireachtas considered and approved an amendment to Section 22 of the Waste Management Act 1996 to provide that the making of a waste management plan should become an executive function of the relevant local authority. The amendment was seen as necessary to ensure the timely adoption and implementation of waste management plans, required under both national and EU legislation and also required to ensure that waste in Ireland was managed in a manner which is environmentally sustainable.
While recent figures published by the EPA for 2012 indicate that Ireland has made considerable progress in terms of sustainable waste management, moving from approximately landfilling 90% of our municipal solid waste in 2001 to just 41% in 2012, substantial further progress is required in order to fulfil our obligations under the waste hierarchy, whereby prevention, preparing for reuse, recycling and other recovery are favoured over the disposal or landfilling of waste. There remains a shortage of indigenous treatment capacity in Ireland and we are overly reliant on export for recovery. The timely adoption and implementation of waste management plans therefore remains a priority, if Ireland is to deliver the infrastructural capacity necessary for us to meet our obligations under EU law.
I have no plans to amend the current arrangements.
