Vol. 556 No. 3
658 Mr. Dennehy asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he has satisfied himself that Ireland will be able to adequately comply with the EU directive on end-of-life vehicles; and his plans to deal with persons who fail to comply with this directive. [19865/02]
As part of the process towards transposition and implementation of European Parliament and Council Directive 2000/53/EC on end-of-life vehicles (ELVS), my Department has been actively engaged with the Society for the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI), the Irish Motor Vehicle Recyclers Association (IMVRA), the Metal Recyclers Association of Ireland – MRAI – and other concerned parties with a view to developing a producer responsibility initiative to implement the main provisions of the directive. These stakeholder bodies submitted an agreed initial proposal for an ELV management scheme towards the end of last year. This replaced earlier proposals by SIMI alone. Consultants were engaged by the stakeholders to assist in the development of the agreed initial proposals. I am preparing appropriate legislative proposals to provide for implementation of the detailed ELV management scheme consistent with the requirements of the ELV directive.
Transposition of the directive will impose obligations on a range of persons, including for example vehicle importers and retailers, dismantlers and owners of ELVs. A breach of such obligations will constitute an offence under the transposing legislation. In this regard, the Waste Management Act, 1996, already provides for controls on ELVs. Section 71 of the Act specifically prohibits the abandonment of vehicles on any land and empowers local authorities to remove and deal appropriately with such vehicles. Section 32(1) of the Act 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. It is incumbent on the owner of an ELV to dispose of it in a responsible manner, by transferring it to one of a number of facilities that have – unless otherwise licensed – been permitted under the Waste Management (Permit) Regulations, 1998, to undertake the dismantling and recovery of such vehicles. The enforcement of these statutory provisions relating to the abandonment and recovery of ELVs is a matter for the local authorities. My Department recently requested local authorities to ensure that all vehicle dismantlers and shredders operating in their functional area hold the necessary waste permits or licences.
