asked the Taoiseach the steps he has taken to ensure his Departments will utilise recycled paper in the course of their normal activities and correspondence within his Departments, with other Departments and with the public; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Recycled Paper Utilisation.
10.
The bulk of my Departments' paper needs are supplied through the Government Supplies Agency and I have already asked the Government Suppies Agency to investigate the possibilities of supplying recycled paper in the context of normal cost-effective tendering arrangements.
The Taoiseach will no doubt be aware that I put down similar questions to all other Departments because if one has regard to the vast amount of paper which this House and the various Government Departments generate it surely must be now a feasible project to consider recycling paper within the confines of our own operation for everyday regular use and so set the kind of headline in environmental matters of which the Taoiseach gave fulsome description earlier today when he talked about the Madrid summit and the espousal of environmental protection measures.
I am not quite sure what the Deputy is asking me to do but I am in general sympathy with his approach.
If the Taoiseach confines the exercise exclusively to a cost benefit analysis on the project to recycle paper generated within the apparatus of Government at the broadest levels, the answer would probably be in the negative. If, however, the Taoiseach implements some of the values to which he gave voice earlier today in his report from the Madrid Summit, it might be a feasible headline that could be set by this Government for the entire Civil Service in relation to how we might continue to use recycled paper.
I will keep that in mind.
In the light of the requirement of the public service for paper, have the new Government any plans to facilitate the re-opening of the last paper making facility in the country, the Clondalkin Paper Mills?
That is worthy of a separate question, Deputy.
It sure is.
It certainly merits a separate question.