Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 July 2017
663. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the position regarding the National Trans Frontier Shipments Office investigation regarding a shipment that was part returned to a port of origin here from Holland in 2017 (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33072/17]
View answerOn foot of the repatriation of a number of containers from Rotterdam, the National Transfrontier Shipments Office (NTFSO) instructed the waste broker who organised these exports to arrange for each shipping container to be returned to the waste facility from where it originated and has carried out inspections of these facilities. The NTFSO oversaw the return, off-loading, breaking open of each bale and reprocessing of the material from all shipping containers at the sites of origin. All wastes have at this point been reprocessed at the respective material recovery facility. The NTFSO has also engaged with the waste broker with a view to improving the broker’s inspection and monitoring procedures in order to reduce the risk of repeated incidents in the future.
The NTFSO in Dublin City Council is responsible for the enforcement of the Waste Management (Shipments of Waste) Regulations, 2007. As Minister, I am precluded under Section 60(3) of the Waste Management Act 1996 from exercising any power or control in relation to the performance, in specific cases, by a local authority of their statutory functions under the Act.
