asked the Minister for the Environment the proposals, if any, in his Department for the recycling of domestic refuse.

The question of taking any measures to facilitate the recycling of the domestic refuse which they collect is a matter for local authorities in the context of their waste management operations. At the request of my Department, An Foras Forbartha have undertaken a special study of the possibilities for local authority involvement in recycling. When the study has been completed I hope to be in a better position to judge, having regard to cost and other factors, what contribution might be made by local authorities to the recovery and recycling of materials.

(Cavan-Monaghan): Will the Minister take steps to take the responsibility off the shoulders of local authorities?

This is a matter for Dublin Corporation.

Order.

When will the results of this study be made available? I suggest to the Minister that this is not a matter for local authorities and it should be a matter for the Department of the Environment on a national basis rather than on a local authority basis. Further, is the Minister aware of how difficult it is at the moment for local authorities to acquire land for refuse dumping and the objections there are to it? Also, when he is assessing the costs as he mentioned, will he take into account the cost of land, the cost of the time of the local authority officials, the cost of court proceedings, and further, the cost of a sworn enquiry to which objectors are entitled?

We are getting a long way from recycling.

The question relates to the recycling of domestic refuse.

Surely it is recycling of domestic waste, and you cannot divorce that from the local authorities who are very much involved in it and are finding great difficulty in disposing of it.

As I have stated, An Foras Forbartha have, at the request of this Department, undertaken a special study on the possibilities of local authority involvement in recycling. I cannot say when that study will be completed.

When did it start?

I have not that information.

Does the Minister mean to say he has no information on it?

The study is under way. I know what happened in the Department when Deputies opposite were in office.

It is disgraceful the way it is run now.

The Minister is asked a question about recycling.

Would the Minister give me any indication as to when the study commenced? Would he even venture a guess as to when these investigations will be complete?

I have not the information as to when the study commenced.

Has he not?

I will ask An Foras Forbartha to speed up the study. It is a complex problem, but local authorities are concerned with the refuse collection service to be provided in their areas. This is entirely a matter for the local authorities. The local authorities have no statutory obligation at the moment in regard to recovery or recycling of materials.

Has the Minister any responsibility for recycling? I suggest that he give some leadership to the local authorities and tell them to get on with the work instead of passing the buck to them. The Minister has no commitment to or interest in the matter.

Local authorities are involved to only a very limited extent in recycling activities. They co-operate in the recovery of abandoned cars and metal scrap as well as waste oil for collection and recycling by private enterprise.