Vol. 515 No. 1
174 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the financial assistance, if any, his Department gives to local authorities in terms of acquiring the site for a refuse landfill; the setting up and operating costs of these sites; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5348/00]
The "polluter pays" principle, PPP, generally precludes the subvention by the Exchequer of costs associated with the development, operation, closure and aftercare of local authority landfill facilities, and my Department does not provide capital assistance to local authorities for these purposes. In accordance with the PPP, a new directive on the landfill of waste will require member states to ensure that all of the costs involved in the provision of a landfill facility are covered by the price to be charged by the operator for disposal of waste in the facility.
The 1998 policy statement Changing our Ways emphasises that continuing undue reliance on landfill cannot remain the basis of modern waste infrastructure, and that reducing this reliance should be the core objective of the current local waste management planning process.
