Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 9 Oct 1996

Vol. 469 No. 6

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Waste Disposal.

Noel Dempsey

Ceist:

34 Mr. Dempsey asked the Minister for the Environment if his attention has been drawn to a situation whereby he has indicated that he does not favour incineration as a waste disposal option, the Department of Health in its tender document for disposal of hospital waste specifically rules out incineration as an option but an interdepartmental committee has been established to examine the feasibility of a national incinerator to cope with BSE; if he will clarify the Government's intentions in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17849/96]

Gerard C. Connolly

Ceist:

76 Mr. Connolly asked the Minister for the Environment his views on incineration in view of the Government's decision to set up an interdepartmental committee to examine the feasibility of incineration for BSE infected animals; if incineration is currently part of the Government's waste policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17848/96]

Mr. Howlin

I propose to take Questions Nos. 34 and 76 together.

As stated in reply to previous questions on this subject, waste incineration is used extensively within the OECD countries and is regulated by a number of EU directives. Irish environmental legislation, in particular the Environmental Protection Agency Act, 1992, provides for the licensing of waste incineration activities on the basis of best practicable standards, including relevant EU requirements. Licences for both industrial and hospital waste incineration have been granted by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Officials of my Department, and the Environmental Protection Agency, are at present participating in an interdepartmental committee established by the Government to consider incineration as a possible option to deal with certain animal waste materials from the meat industry and agriculture. The establishment of such a committee is not in conflict with policy decisions already announced and being implemented in relation to the separate streams of health care wastes. The report of the committee will be presented to the Government in due course and a decision will then be made on the best disposal option for the animal wastes concerned.

Mr. Dempsey

Thank you, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle, for facilitating me and I thank the Minister for his reply. With due respect to the Minister, he is speaking out of both sides of his mouth in relation to incineration. Before the summer recess the Government set up a Cabinet sub-committee, consisting of the Ministers for Health, Agriculture, Food and Forestry and the Environment, to examine the feasibility of a national incinerator to destroy BSE infected offal. The Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry has said incineration is the most viable option. Some weeks later on the "Davis" television programme, the Minister said his policy was against incineration. There is total confusion on the whole question of incineration. Will the Minister give the House a clear statement on whether the Government is for or against incineration or if it is an option being considered for future waste management?

Mr. Howlin

I indicated previously on many occasions in this House that I do not have a closed mind to the option of incineration — the Official Report will show that. I said previously, from my time in the Department of Health, that I wanted various options for the health stream waste which contains a degree of infectious materials that need to be treated in different ways. Many industrial plans across the country have been licensed for incineration and that is carried on in a safe and acceptable way. The committee established by the Government to examine the disposal of possible infected meat may decide that incineration is the best environmental option, and I do not have a closed view on that either. The long-term strategy in relation to waste disposal will have to be addressed with an open mind, and I do not have a closed mind on the various technologies now in place and available. The best solution to waste management in the future may be a variety of different options.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

That concludes questions for today.