asked the Minister for Industry and Energy (a) whether, in view of the cost of imports of waste paper and of the importance of import substitution, he has formulated any policy to encourage the collection and re-use of waste generated in Ireland; and (b) whether he is aware that, in the carrying out of such a policy, he will have the goodwill and co-operation of a number of voluntary organisations.

The collection of waste paper is organised by the waste paper merchants. For some years past, the volume of waste paper collected by the merchants for recycling by industry has been in excess of domestic demand and the surplus has been exported.

Regardless of the volume collected from domestic sources, it has always been necessary for Irish paper-makers to import a certain quantity of waste paper. These imports are of paper containing a higher proportion of chemical pulp than is present in most of the waste paper collected domestically. In recent years the volume of such imports varied between 1,000 and 1,500 tonnes annually while exports have been between 15,000 and 20,000 tonnes a year.

Whilst I appreciate the important contribution that voluntary organisations can make to increasing the volume of waste paper available for collection by the merchants, it must be recognised that in the present circumstances of the paper-making industry in this country and elsewhere the merchants may not be in a position to accept all the paper that might be offered to them by voluntary organisations.

Apart from the recycling of waste paper by the paper and packaging industry, no economically viable alternative commercial uses for waste paper have so far been identified. This however, is something which my Department and the Department of the Environment will continue to explore in the context of the attention being given at present to the general question of recycling of waste.

In view of the fact that the Minister concentrated his answer entirely on waste paper, which is only a small part of the problem, would he like to comment on the rest of the matters raised, such as the formulation of a policy to encourage the collection and re-use of waste generated in Ireland by which we understand waste paper, waste oil, waste glass and other waste material? Will the Minister say if he has any plans to formulate such a policy? Will he reply to the second part of the question which asks very specifically if he will use the good offices of voluntary organisations already at work in the area to help him in the formulation of this policy?

I am sure the Deputy is aware that the 1979 European Community waste regulations, which implement the 1975 EEC Directive on waste, oblige local authorities to prepare waste management plans for their functional areas and the Department of the Environment, I understand, have advised local authorities accordingly and approximately half the authorities so far have prepared plans. I have also under investigation another plan in my Department which I hope to be in a position to release in about four to five weeks time to tackle another aspect of this. I am sure the Deputy is also aware that approximately 20,000 tonnes are collected by the Waste Paper Company of Ireland.

May I ask the Minister again if he has any plans to develop a policy for the re-use of waste materials? I appreciate his reference to the EEC directive which refers only in passing to the re-use of these materials but the question I am concerned with is whether the Minister has any intention of building up a policy for the re-use of these materials, materials which provide a valuable source of additional energy in a number of different forms and which could also be a valuable source in terms of savings on imports.

The Deputy can rest assured that I am tackling the waste material situation. Very shortly I intend to announce an experiment, a pilot scheme, in relation to waste.

Which materials are involved?

There are many other aspects of waste, apart from waste paper, which have the potential for the creation of jobs in industry. I have already directed the attention of the IDA to these other materials and a section of that agency are considering various opportunities in that field. There is considerable scope for the creation of jobs out of the recycling and the better use of waste. If we manage to tackle the question successfully the whole environment should be a better place in which to live.