asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the steps he has taken to ensure his Department will utilise recycled paper in the course of their normal activities and correspondence within his Department, with other Departments and with the public; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

The paper used by my Department generally is supplied on foot of contracts placed by the Government Supplies Agency. The technical composition of the paper, including whether it is of recycled origin or not, is a matter for that agency.

In view of the new coalition Programme for Government for the next four years and the stated support for environmental measures, is the Minister now in a position to indicate whether his Department are prepared to request from the supplier of Government paper that for internal circulation, for the day-to-day purposes of communications, they will move towards trying to recycle paper, thereby avoiding some of the detrimental environmental impact of normal consumption?

I have no objections whatsoever to using more recycled paper provided an adequate standard is maintained. Members of the Opposition parties when in Government — Deputies Quinn, Barry and others — will know that, in many instances, envelopes have been recycled and file covers and folders used repeatedly. I know there is an additional cost involved in recycling paper. I am told by the Government Supplies Agency, which is part of the Office of Public Works, that there is an extra cost involved. Where possible, I see no reason items of paper, such as envelopes, covers and so on cannot be reused.

Will the Minister agree that when he refers to extra cost he is looking at one side of the equation only? Will he not agree that the real cost of the continued use of primary paper resources is to the environment? If we were to recycle such paper, the real saving would be effected in reducing the detrimental impact the use of such primary paper has on our environment.

I accept fully the main thrust of the Deputy's question. My reply, which I hope he will take in good faith, is that I would have no objection whatever to the recycling of such paper. In fact, I would welcome its use if that can be managed.