Written Answers Nos. 210-229
210. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if NPWS provides support annually for an organisation (details supplied); and if so, the cost of same in 2020. [16447/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI recently approved the 2021 allocation of funding to the Irish Environmental Network(IEN) from the Environment Fund. I will be providing funding of €1,764,000 for the IEN and its constituent members in 2021. This is an increase of €704,000 on the level of funding provided in 2020. This funding is granted subject to the recipients complying with the provisions of Department of Finance Circular 13 of 2014, “Management of and Accountability for Grants from Exchequer Funds”.
This significantly increased level of funding shows my strong support for the importance of the work done by the member organisations of the IEN. These national environmental NGOs are active on a broad range of environmental issues, including wildlife conservation, biodiversity and climate change.
I also recognise that, in addition to the climate and biodiversity challenges, the COVID-19 pandemic has presented unprecedented challenges to communities and society. IEN members have had to adapt quickly in response to the changing landscape, developing the new skills and tools needed to shift their activities online, including supporting their members activities through virtual events; the roll-out of a web-based communications platform; and grants to offset the costs of remote working.
211. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will direct his officials to respond to correspondence (details supplied) from members of the public and include the area in the intervention area of the National Broadband Plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16476/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe premises referred to in the Question is located in the BLUE area on the NBP High Speed Broadband Map which is available on my Department's website at www.broadband.gov.ie. BLUE areas are not included in the State intervention area covered by the National Broadband Plan as commercial operators are already providing high speed broadband or have indicated future plans to do so. My Department defines high speed broadband as a connection with minimum speeds of 30Mbps download and 6Mbps upload. The activities of commercial operators delivering high speed broadband within BLUE areas are not planned or funded by the State and my Department has no statutory authority to intervene in that regard.
Complaints about service provision are a matter to be resolved between the consumer and the service provider in the first instance. If this avenue has been exhausted without a satisfactory resolution, the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) may be able to assist further. ComReg is the independent body that issues licences to broadband service providers and investigates complaints to make sure that companies are delivering services in line with their licence obligations.
My Department has, however, raised a query regarding the premises in question with the network operator to obtain the current status for the premises.
As soon as a reply is received my Department will revert to the Deputy with an update.
212. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the estimated total cost of retrofitting and upgrading of 500,000 homes to a B2 rating by 2030 as outlined in the Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16510/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Programme for Government and the Climate Action Plan set ambitious targets for the number and depth of residential retrofits to be completed by 2030. The targets are to retrofit 500,000 homes to a Building Energy Rating of B2 and to install 400,000 heat pumps in existing buildings over the next 10 years. Retrofitting has the ability to contribute to a number of important goals including - decarbonisation; warmer, more comfortable homes; and job creation and retention.
Work is ongoing to finalise an estimate of the cost of the retrofit programme in the context of the National Development Plan Review and finalising a National Retrofit Framework. The overall estimated cost will include assumptions around the dwelling types (detached, semi-detached, terraced, apartment) and the starting Building Energy Rating of the properties to be retrofitted as well as a range of other factors.
The Department funds a number of grant schemes to support homeowners to improve the energy efficiency of their properties. Partial grants are available for homeowners who can afford to contribute to the cost of upgrades as well as free energy efficiency retrofits for people at risk of energy poverty. These are administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). Since 2000, around 450,000 homeowners have upgraded their homes with support from these schemes, representing nearly one home in four across the country.
€221.5 million in capital funding has been provided this year for residential and community retrofit programmes to be funded by my Department through the SEAI. This represents an additional €100 million, or an 82% increase, on the 2020 allocation and is the largest ever budget for the schemes.
213. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if the broadband connectivity issues at an address will be examined (details supplied); if this address will be included in the roll-out of the National Broadband Plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16558/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs previously stated in my reply of 13 January to a Parliamentary Question on this matter, the premises referred to in the Question is located in the BLUE area on the NBP High Speed Broadband Map which is available on my Department's website at www.broadband.gov.ie.
BLUE areas are not included in the State intervention area covered by the National Broadband Plan as commercial operators are already providing high speed broadband or have indicated future plans to do so. My Department defines high speed broadband as a connection with minimum speeds of 30Mbps download and 6Mbps upload. The activities of commercial operators delivering high speed broadband within BLUE areas are not planned or funded by the State and my Department has no statutory authority to intervene in that regard.
Complaints about service provision are a matter between the consumer and the service provider in the first instance. If this avenue has been exhausted without a satisfactory resolution, the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) may be able to assist further. ComReg is the independent body that issues licences to broadband service providers and investigates complaints to make sure that companies are delivering services in line with their licence obligations.
Notwithstanding this, my Department has raised a query with the service provider regarding the premises referred to. The last update from the service provider on the 22 January indicates that they are reviewing the matter. My Department has contacted the service provider again in this regard requesting that they prioritise the query. My Department will revert to the Deputy with a further update as soon as possible.
214. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if an area (details supplied) will be brought into the State intervention area under the National Broadband Plan due to the provision of slow internet speeds under 30mbps in the locality; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16573/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs previously stated in my reply of 10 March to a Parliamentary Question on this matter, the premises referred to in the Question is located in the BLUE area on the NBP High Speed Broadband Map which is available on my Department's website at www.broadband.gov.ie.
BLUE areas are not included in the State intervention area covered by the National Broadband Plan as commercial operators are already providing high speed broadband or have indicated future plans to do so. My Department defines high speed broadband as a connection with minimum speeds of 30Mbps download and 6Mbps upload. The activities of commercial operators delivering high speed broadband within BLUE areas are not planned or funded by the State and my Department has no statutory authority to intervene in that regard.
Notwithstanding this, my Department has again checked the matters raised and from the records provided by the service provider the premises in the estate is listed as getting speeds of at least 30Mbps. As previously advised complaints about service provision are a matter between the consumer and the service provider in the first instance. If this avenue has been exhausted without a satisfactory resolution, the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) may be able to assist further. ComReg is the independent body that issues licences to broadband service providers and investigates complaints to make sure that companies are delivering services in line with their licence obligations.
In the event that, having exhausted the above options, a premises located in the BLUE area still cannot get high speed broadband from service providers in the area, they should contact my Department at broadband@decc.gov.ie with full details and the matter will be investigated further by my officials.
215. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the action he is taking to address the growing problem of littering and dumping; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16574/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy, published in September 2020, contained a range of additional actions designed to enhance existing waste enforcement activity. These include:
- an enhanced role for the Waste Enforcement Regional Lead Authorities (WERLAs);
- the development of an Anti-Dumping Toolkit for Local Authorities;
- the development of an illegal/unauthorised sites action plan to assist authorities;
- a deposit and return scheme for plastic bottles and aluminium cans;
- a new national communications and education programme;
- greater use of Fixed Penalty Notices.
- “data proofing” waste legislation to facilitate the use of available and emerging technologies in a manner which is GDPR compliant.
I intend to advance the latter two points via the forthcoming Circular Economy Bill.
These actions will build on existing measures to combat illegal dumping, such as the Anti-Dumping Initiative (ADI). Last year €3m was allocated to local authorities in support of the ADI. This funding allowed over 300 projects to be carried out nationwide during 2020 including a national anti-dumping awareness communications campaign, "Your Country, Your Waste".
My Department also supports local authorities and the WERLAs through the annual Local Authority Waste Enforcement Measures Grant scheme which supports the recruitment and retention of over 150 dedicated local authority waste enforcement personnel. In 2020 my Department provided €1.1m and €7.6m to the WERLAs and local authorities respectively.
216. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if his attention has been drawn to instances of litigation or the threat of litigation arising from the inclusion of social clauses in public procurement contracts in each of the years 2017 to 2020. [16591/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department has had no instances of litigation or the threat of litigation arising from the inclusion of social clauses in public procurement contracts in the period referenced.
217. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if the transformation payment agreed between post offices and An Post in 2018 will be extended; and if not, the financial assistance that will be put in place to keep the post network operating. [16676/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra228. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the steps he is taking to ensure a sustainable post office network as a key component of the economic and social infrastructure in rural and urban areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16948/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 217 and 228 together.
The Programme for Government recognises that a modernised post office network will provide a better range of financial services and e-commerce services for citizens and enterprise, as part of our commitment to a sustainable nationwide post office network.
The terms under which Postmasters contract with An Post is a matter between the Postmasters and An Post and any negotiations are a matter for both parties directly.
A lot of work has been done over the past few years to develop the post office network and this has had a positive effect for both postmasters and customers. This momentum needs to be maintained and if An Post, the postmasters and Government work together we can ensure that the network can emerge as a central hub for a wide variety of valuable community-focused services.
An Post is transforming its retail network by delivering new products and new formats. This includes, among other things, diversifying and growing the financial services products it provides for individuals and SMEs to include loans, credit cards and more foreign exchange products, local banking in association with the major banks and a full range of State Savings products. Two new dedicated sub-brands, An Post Money and a new business-to-business brand, An Post Commerce, were launched. Investment by An Post of €50 million in the network is designed to encourage communities to use the enhanced services in their local post office.
The Government believes An Post has untapped potential to do more and make a further significant contribution across many areas of public, business and community life in Ireland. In that regard, Government recently approved the Report on the Provision of Offline Government Services and the establishment of an Inter-Departmental Group, co-chaired by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, to, inter alia, examine the feasibility of directing more Government business to the post office network. The Group will report back to Government by the end of July.
Government is committed to working with An Post and postmasters to ensure that the network continues to play a strong role in delivering State services. As with any business the post office needs to develop commercial strategies to enable it to grow and maintain its relevance for its users. All options will be considered fully and every effort made to give effect to the Government commitment to ensuring a sustainable and viable post office network.
218. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he has engaged in discussions or commissioned reports in relation to subsidising household broadband services to tackle educational disadvantage and narrow the digital divide; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16679/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI recognise how vital telecommunications services are to citizens for so many aspects of their daily lives, including remote working, studying and staying in touch with family members particularly during the Covid-19 crisis. While my Department has not commissioned any reports of the nature described in the question, the Government, through the National Broadband Plan in particular, is investing very significantly in addressing the digital divide and in ensuring that schools and individual students have the necessary connectivity to fully participate in the digital society. The NBP will ensure that over 1.1 million of our citizens that currently live in areas without access to a reliable high speed broadband service will have access to this service going forward, at a cost comparable to urban areas.
With respect to schools, my Department continues to work with the Department of Education to prioritise schools with no high speed broadband within the Intervention Area, for connection over the term of the NBP. In this regard, an acceleration of this aspect of the National Broadband Plan was announced in December which will see some 679 primary schools connected to high speed broadband by 2022, well ahead of the original target delivery timeframe of 2026. Further details are available on the NBI website at https://nbi.ie/primary-schools-list/.
Telecommunication service providers have reacted to the Covid crisis by taking a number of measures to help people stay connected during the pandemic. Some of these measures are of particular relevance to students, such as measures taken to increase data limits on many existing packages and introduce new packages with very high, or unlimited data offerings, including unlimited data packages at a low cost.
219. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the recent changes to the SEAI schemes for private homeowners; and the reason homeowners that availed of secondary measures under the scheme previously are refused further works. [16741/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra229. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the recent changes to the SEAI schemes for private homeowners; and the reason homeowners who availed of secondary measures under the scheme previously are refused further works. [17069/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 219 and 229 together.
The Programme for Government and the Climate Action Plan set ambitious targets to retrofit 500,000 homes to a Building Energy Rating of B2/cost optimal and to install 400,000 heat pumps in existing buildings over the next 10 years. A total of €221.5 million in capital funding has been provided for SEAI residential and community retrofit schemes this year. This represents an additional €100 million, or an 82% increase, on the 2020 allocation and is the largest ever budget for the schemes. This allocation is kick-starting the first phase of our retrofit plan.
Of this amount, €109 million is allocated to provide free upgrades for lower income households. This is a €47 million increase on the 2020 allocation. €112.5 million will be spent on expanding other existing SEAI grant schemes and introducing new initiatives. The first of the new schemes was launched in September when a call for projects under the new National Retrofit (One-Stop-Shop Development) scheme issued. A €30 million call for projects under the Communities Energy Grant scheme was launched in November. A targeted heat-pump ready homes campaign was also launched.
It is important to note that the grants available through SEAI aim to maximise emission reductions and deliver energy savings for the widest range of homeowners possible. The grants which are available, and their respective eligibility criteria, were selected as the most likely to deliver significant energy savings to homeowners as well as the best value for money for the Exchequer. The grant schemes provided by SEAI are however reviewed on a regular basis.
The Warmer Homes Scheme delivers a range of energy efficiency measures free of charge to low income homeowners who are vulnerable to energy poverty. Revisits under this scheme are currently not available. There are over 8,000 homes on the current work programme that have not previously received free upgrades under the scheme, and these homes are the priority to receive upgrades. Recommendations on the implementation of changes to the scheme to better target those most in need will be finalised shortly.
The Better Energy Homes scheme aims to improve energy efficiency by providing grant support for energy efficiency upgrades to homeowners whose homes were built and occupied prior to 2006 for insulation and heating control systems and 2011 for heat pump and solar thermal grants. Under the scheme a home cannot receive grant funding twice for the same energy efficiency measure.
Under the Community Energy Grant Scheme and the National Home Retrofit (One Stop Shop Development) Scheme, grants may be claimed for additional measures to increase the energy efficiency of a home as part of an overall project to achieve a specified target. For example, external wall insulation can be supported in homes that previously received cavity wall insulation where it is determined that it is an appropriate intervention as part of an overall upgrade project to attain B2 or cost optimal and meet the minimum BER uplift.
220. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the reason for his view that Ireland should under contribute to the EU Climate Law emissions reduction target for 2030 (details supplied); the reason for his view that the EU 2030 target can be achieved if countries such as Ireland are contributing less; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16780/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Programme for Government commits to an average 7% per annum reduction in overall greenhouse gas emissions from 2021 to 2030 - a 51% reduction over the decade - and to achieving net zero emissions by 2050.
On 23 March 2021, the Government approved the final text of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill. Under this legislation, the first two carbon budgets proposed by the Climate Change Advisory Council shall provide for a reduction of 51% in the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions over the course of the first two budgetary periods ending on 31 December 2030, from the annual greenhouse gas emissions reported for the year ending on 31 December 2018, as set out in the national greenhouse gas emissions inventory prepared by the Environmental Protection Agency. The legislation, which is a key commitment in the Programme for Government, will now progress through the Houses of the Oireachtas as priority legislation.
In parallel, Ireland has welcomed and is supportive of the development of a European Climate Law, which will set a legally binding target for Europe’s economy and society to become climate-neutral by 2050. Ireland also fully supports the enhanced ambition at EU level to increase the EU 2030 target to at least 55% emissions reduction compared to 1990 levels. The European Environmental Agency report that the EU27 have reduced their emissions by approximately 23% from 1990 levels, meaning a further reduction in the order of 30% will be required from 2018 emissions levels to meet the new EU target.
However, it is difficult to provide direct comparisons with the European Climate Law to the Programme for Government commitment given that:
the balance of effort (in achieving the enhanced EU ambition) between the EU-wide ETS and individual Member State targets has not yet been decided;
many revisions have been proposed to the current architecture; and
in determining legally binding targets for Member States under the Effort Sharing Regulation, the EU balances technical, economic, equity and political considerations.
221. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the way a person who wishes to have their address changed or an error corrected that is listed on the Eircode website or system can do so; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16806/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraEircodes are assigned to new property addresses using a valid postal address and verified geo-locations. All postal addresses, geographical addresses and geo-locations are provided to Eircode from authoritative sources, namely An Post and Ordnance Survey Ireland through their subsidiary company An Post GeoDirectory. An Post collects information on all new and existing buildings, as well as changes to existing addresses, and Ordnance Survey Ireland provides the geo-locations for these buildings.
Eircode does not change existing postal addresses and the Eircode can be simply added to the address normally used for the property. This address can be the most commonly used address, the postal address or/and the geographical address. The free to use online Eircode Finder (https://finder.eircode.ie/#/), which remains very popular with the public with over 88.1 million lookups since the finder went live, provides both the geographical and postal addresses for properties in the state.
Householders who have queries relating to the postal address of their property can contact An Post by email at: eircode@anpost.ie or Customer Service on 01 – 7056000. In the case where An Post makes changes to the address, the updated information will be provided to Eircode by An Post GeoDirectory.
222. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the achievements reached as part of the Eastern-Midlands Region Waste Management Plan 2015-2021; when the consultation and adoption of the new plan is due to take place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16807/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn accordance with statutory requirements, the progress on implementation of the Eastern-Midlands Region Waste Management Plan 2015-2021 is currently being evaluated, along with the Southern Region & Connacht Ulster Region Waste Management Plans, with the evaluation report expected to be available in April. There have been some significant achievements by the three Regions over the lifetime of the current plans in particular with regard to the establishment of the national waste awareness communication platform for citizen engagement, mywaste.ie , the co-ordination of the Historic Landfill Remediation Programme, the ongoing monitoring and reporting of capacity for Municipal Solid Waste and Construction & Demolition Waste and more recently with the co-ordination of the waste sector to ensure business continuity during Covid 19.
The existing three regional waste management plans will be replaced by a new National Waste Management Plan for a Circular Economy, which will take account of the various measures outlined in A Waste Action Plan for A Circular Economy. The Pre-Draft Consultation Phase for this new plan is currently underway and will run until the 6th May. Full details are available on mywaste.ie. There will be a further public consultation following publication of a draft plan later this year and the Regional Waste Management Planning Offices expect to publish the final plan in early 2022.
223. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he has considered a deposit refund scheme for Ireland; if so, the study and research that has been conducted on the subject; if the impact on the existing kerbside recycling system and the cost to consumers has been considered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16809/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraA report prepared for my Department concluded that a Deposit and Return Scheme (DRS) for plastic bottles is considered to be the only feasible way to achieve the required levels of performance under the Single Use Plastics Directive- due to be transposed by 3 July 2021.The report estimates that the introduction of a DRS might result in a small increase in the costs of collecting domestic waste due to the fact that most of the more valuable materials will no longer be put in domestic bins. However, a DRS will bring added value to these materials by ensuring that the majority of plastic bottles and aluminium cans are recycled properly, with an annual reduction in greenhouse gas emissions to the value of €1.83m and other air pollutants of €550,00 . The report also estimates that a DRS could reduce the cost of litter disamenity to communities by €95m and reduce littering by 85%.
The roadmap for the introduction of a DRS for plastic bottles and aluminium cans in 2022 was outlined in the Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy launched last September. Since then a public consultation on the design options for a DRS has been completed and a working group of Department officials and stakeholders has been established to discuss the implementation of the scheme. This group has met on a number of occasions and arising from these discussions a second public consultation focusing on the preferred model and the draft legislative framework for the scheme will be launched shortly.
224. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if the EPA has plans to replace the FreeTrade Ireland website to encourage and facilitate recycling and upcycling of goods across the country; if details of same will be provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16811/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreeTrade Ireland is an initiative supported by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and thus its operation is a matter for the EPA, which is itself an independent statutory body. I have no function in relation to the matter.
225. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of persons convicted of illegal dumping in Cork City Council and Cork County Council areas in each of the years 2018 to 2020, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16893/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraEnforcement actions against illegal waste activity are a matter for local authorities and the Office of Environmental Enforcement within the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The EPA compiles comparative statistics on local authority performance relating to its waste enforcement activity under the Recommended Criteria for Environmental Inspection (RMCEI) process. Its most recent report for 2019 is available at epa.ie.
Information is also available through the Local Government Management Agency's series of service indicators annual reports which are available at lgma.ie. The Waste Enforcement Regional Lead Authorities (WERLAs) Annual Report for 2019, available at werla.ie, also contains useful data regarding actions taken by the wider local authority sector under the Waste Management Act.
While waste enforcement action is a matter in the first instance for local authorities, my Department encourages a multi-facetted approach to tackling the problem, incorporating enforcement, public awareness and education and, provides significant funding to support the activities of both the Waste Enforcement Regional Lead Authorities (WERLAs) and the national network of local authority waste enforcement officers.
Questions in relation to the full annual costs of waste enforcement, litter fines imposed, convictions obtained and prosecutions taken by individual local authorities should be directed towards those specific authorities.
226. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of fixed penalty notices issued to persons who did not remove dog fouling by county; the counties which did not issue a single notice; the amount spent on awareness, signage and communication warnings to prevent dog fouling by county in each of the years 2018, 2019 and 2020, in tabular form; his plans to tighten regulations to tackle the offence under the Litter Pollution Act 1997; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16904/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Litter Pollution Acts, 1997 to 2009, provide the statutory framework to combat littering and include provisions relating to dog fouling. Under the Acts, the primary management and enforcement response to littering (including dog fouling) rests with Local Authorities.
It is a matter for each Local Authority to determine the most appropriate course of action to tackle litter pollution locally within the legislation provided. This includes the most appropriate public awareness, enforcement and clean-up actions in relation to litter and dog fouling, taking account of local circumstances and priorities.
My Department does not collate statistics on the number of fines issued by Local Authorities in relation to specific litter offences, such as dog fouling offences.
With regard to litter awareness and education, my Department has, since 1997, co-funded the Local Authority Anti-Litter and Anti-Graffiti Awareness Grant Scheme (ALAGS). Under the scheme, local authorities are responsible for selecting suitable awareness raising and educational projects for funding and deciding on individual grant allocations. Where possible, the focus is on voluntary initiatives by community and environmental groups, and also on involving schools and young people in anti-litter and anti-graffiti action. Typically, eligible projects include local media campaigns, clean-ups, primary/secondary school competitions, exhibitions, and the production of videos, posters and leaflets. Local authorities will continue to be encouraged, where practical under the scheme to expend a portion of their grant on dog fouling awareness projects.
227. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if his attention has been drawn to persons having to pay a visible environmental management charge on used tyres which were used in silage storage even though the levy was already paid on the tyres when they were originally purchased; his views on whether this is a disincentive to responsible disposal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16947/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraTyres held on farms for silage storage purposes are considered historic and predate the introduction of the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme for tyres. The visible Environmental Management Cost (vEMC) would not therefore have been applied to them. Recognising this issue, and in advance of the introduction of the scheme, my Department provided €700,000 to help remove historic waste tyres from farms. The funding was allocated across numerous geographical locations and the budget was fully expended. In the case of such historic tyres, the primary responsibility for the management of this waste, including costs for removal or disposal, lies with the holder of the waste, i.e. the natural or legal person in possession of the waste, or the producer of the waste. The Waste Management Act 1996 imposes a general duty of care on holders of waste. A person may not hold, transport, recover or dispose of waste in a manner that causes, or is likely to cause environmental pollution. Since the introduction of the EPR scheme for tyres, operated by Repak Elt, any tyres which have incurred the vEMC are collected free of charge by Repak Elt through registered waste collectors. I understand Repak Elt has no records of tyres on which the charge has been paid subsequently being delivered to any farmers.
