Vol. 527 No. 5
187 Caoimhghin Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the measures he has taken to prevent dumping of scrapped cars; and the measures that have been taken to prevent the selling of cars to minors and to stop the selling of scrapped cars or the selling of cars to those who cannot be insured to drive. [29105/00]
It is incumbent on the owner of an end-of-life vehicle – ELV – to dispose of it in a responsible manner, by transferring it to one of a number of facilities that have been permitted under the Waste Management (Permit) Regulations, 1998, to undertake the dismantling and recovery of such vehicles.
Section 32(1) of the Waste Management Act, 1996, prohibits the holding, transport, recovery or disposal of waste in a manner that causes or is likely to cause environmental pollution. This general duty of care applies, inter alia, to the owner of an ELV. Section 71 of the 1996 Act specifically prohibits the abandonment of vehicles on any land and empowers local authorities to deal appropriately with abandoned cars. The enforcement and implementation of these provisions is a matter for individual local authorities.
My Department is engaged with the Society of the Irish Motor Industry – SIMI – and other concerned parties with a view to the development of a producer responsibility initiative in relation to end-of-life vehicles. It is intended that such an initiative would, in particular, take account of an EU Parliament and Council directive on end-of-life vehicles. This directive entered into force on 21 October 2000 and member states must implement its requirements by April 2002.
