Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 4 April 2017
613. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the locations of the remaining open municipal waste sites; the areas that the waste is drawn from; if the current situation of concentrating on a limited number of areas complies with best practice waste principles; the changes that are expected; the timeframe for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16178/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAccording to a recent EPA report, Ireland's Environment - An Assessment 2016, there were six operating landfills in the State in 2016.
In accordance with legislation, waste management planning, including infrastructure provision, is the statutory responsibility of local authorities. Under section 60(3) of the Waste Management Act, I am precluded from exercising any power or control in relation to the performance by a local authority, in particular circumstances, of a statutory function vested in it.
My role as Minister is to provide a comprehensive legislative and waste policy framework through which the relevant regulatory bodies, such as the local authorities and the Environmental Protection Agency, operate. In this regard, in line with a measure contained in the Government policy, A Resource Opportunity - Waste Management Policy in Ireland, three Regional Waste Management Planning Lead Authorities have been designated by the local authority sector and three regional waste management plans for the period 2015 to 2021 are in place since May 2015.
