Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 25 Nov 2003

Vol. 575 No. 3

Written Answers. - End-of-Life Vehicles.

Bernard Allen

Ceist:

331 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for the Environment Heritage and Local Government the reason there is such a delay in introducing the European Union end-of-life vehicle directive here in view of the recent deaths of children using cars purchased for ?150 or less. [28166/03]

Paul McGrath

Ceist:

345 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment Heritage and Local Government the situation regarding EU directive ELV 1996; the meetings or discussions which he had with interested parties in the motor industry in relation to this directive; the expenditure on consultancy fees for studies in relation to this matter; the reason for the delay in having this directive implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28483/03]

Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (Mr. Cullen)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 331 and 345 together.

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 stakeholders with a view to developing a producer responsibility initiative, PRI, to implement the European Parliament and Council Directive 2000/53/EC on end-of-life vehicles, ELVs. I have also had meetings with the three main stakeholder groups.

Necessary enabling provisions to facilitate implementation of the directive have been incorporated in the Protection of the Environment Act 2003. Part V of the Waste Management Act 1996 – as inserted by section 44 of the Protection of the Environment Act 2003 – explicitly provides for producer responsibility for the free deposit of ELVs at authorised treatment facilities for appropriate treatment and recovery in line with the directive requirements; the mandatory deposit of ELVs by their registered owners at authorised treatment facilities for appropriate treatment and recovery; and the issue of certificates of destruction in respect of ELVs deposited at authorised treatment facilities for scrapping.

Agreement in principle was reached in December 2001 that the relevant stakeholder groups would establish a not for profit company to operate an ELV recovery scheme to be subsidised by a fund generated by a levy on imported new and used vehicles. However, it has not been possible to reach agreement on the detailed mechanisms to apply the levy and introduce the scheme as originally envisaged.

My Department is continuing to engage with the relevant stakeholder groups on the detailed mechanisms for the operation of the free ELV take-back arrangements required by the directive, including how such arrangements will be funded. Such detailed mechanisms will be provided for in regulations. It is intended to implement the proposed ELV take-back scheme by means of a PRI which would involve the establishment of a collective industry-based company similar to the Repak model which operates for the recovery and recycling of packaging waste. In accordance with the usual arrangements for PRIs, responsibility for funding the free take-back scheme would, in the main, fall to the motor industry. The timing of the commencement of free ELV take-back is dependent on the conclusion of the discussions with the relevant stakeholder groups. It is my objective that these discussions will be concluded as soon as possible in order to facilitate early implementation of the proposed take back system and to ensure that by the time the directive becomes fully operational in 2007 Ireland has a system in place for the recovery and recycling of ELVs capable of meeting the targets and standards set out in the directive.

I understand that the Minister for Transport, in conjunction with the Attorney General, is considering the question of introducing controls on the sale of vehicles generally including to persons under the licensing age established under the Road Traffic Acts.

Expenditure incurred by my Department on consultancy studies to assist in the implementation of Directive 2000/53/EC on end-of-life vehicles amounts to €177,339.24, inclusive of VAT. There is an agreement with the relevant stakeholder groups that this expenditure will be refunded after the commencement of the proposed ELV take-back scheme to be operated collectively by the relevant stakeholder groups.