Vol. 495 No. 1
109 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the plans, if any, he has to ban phosphates in household detergents under the Waste Management Act, 1996; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19280/98]
A comprehensive strategy is in place to address the contribution of nutrients, particularly phosphates, to eutrophication problems in rivers and lakes.
In so far as detergents are concerned, environmentally beneficial changes in recent years include the reduction of phosphate content from 35 to 20 per cent and the introduction of a new range of phosphate-free, concentrated, products.
My Department has been in discussions with the Irish Detergents and Allied Products Association with a view to the adoption of voluntary measures to reduce the volume of phosphate-based household detergents on the market. Work on a draft agreement is at an advanced stage. Should these discussions not come to a satisfactory conclusion, I will consider the imposition of statutory controls to achieve further reductions in the phosphorous input to waters from detergents.
