Ciarán Cuffe
Ceist:449 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the last available returns for environmental taxes collected; and if he will contrast such returns with the previous year's figure. [9756/03]
Written Answers. - Environmental Levies.
Environmental levies received by my Department to date, that is, to end April 2003, show that the total receipts yielded by the levy on plastic bags amount to €10.4 million and receipts from the levy on the landfilling of waste amount to €23.1 million.
As the first payments from the levy on plastic bags were only received by my Department in July 2002, and the first payments for the levy on the landfilling of waste in September 2002, it is not possible for my Department to provide full-year comparisons. However, returns for both levies indicate that annual receipts should amount to around €11 million for the plastic bag levy and €28 million for the landfill levy. Average receipts from both levies have not varied greatly since coming into operation.
Paul Nicholas Gogarty
Ceist:450 Mr. Gogarty asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the spending to date, proposed spending, receipts and anticipated receipts for the plastic bag levy. [13038/03]
It is estimated that during 2003, environmental levy receipts will amount to €39 million, €11 million of which is in respect of the plastic bag levy and €28 million of which is in respect of the landfill levy. Together with €16 million carried over from 2002, it is estimated that in 2003, expenditure from the environment fund will amount to €55 million. The 2003 allocations from the environment fund provide for €30 million waste management capital grants, €17 million to be spent on current waste management and enforcement initiatives, €8 million on non-waste commitments, including pollution control, environmental awareness and the litter initiative.