A public consultation process on the regulation of waste management was launched yesterday by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Dick Roche. A consultation paper to assist the process was published by the Minister.
"In recent years we have put in place a robust system of environmental regulation to ensure that the waste management sector can operate in a sustainable manner. The time has now come to examine whether there is a need for a better system of socio- economic regulation to complement this," he said.
The Minister pointed to the dramatic changes that have occurred in waste management, particularly the growth and consolidation of the private sector, while local authorities continued to play a major role as both service providers and regulators.
"We now have a waste management market place which, unlike other similar sectors, has not got an independent regulator. It is timely to consider if such independent regulation is now warranted and, if so, the form it should take," Mr Roche said.
"I have an open mind on this and wish to hear the concerns of the various stakeholders, most particularly the public, articulated.
"When I have done so I will bring proposals to Government which will be rooted in my commitment to ensuring that the vital waste management sector delivers not just in environmental terms but also in broad support of sustainable development of our rapidly expanding economy, and having regard to the need to maximise service to the public," Mr Roche said.
The Minister added that he was also finalising an examination of the existing regulations through which local authorities act as the regulators of waste collection and certain waste facilities.
He pointed out that the public consultation which formed part of this process had attracted a large number of submissions.
The public consultation paper is available on www.environ.ie or from the Waste Infrastructure and Regulation Section of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Custom House, Dublin.
