Today we now understand what the Taoiseach means when he says that a Minister totally, totally supports Government policy. It seems "totally, totally" is the Government's equivalent of double yellow lines in traffic law, meaning very little until a few offenders are clamped. Will the Taoiseach say who it is he totally, totally supports on the issue of including waste incinerators in the national infrastructure bill?

In The Irish Times last Saturday, it was reported that Ministers are at odds over fast-track planning, “McDowell and Cullen on collision course over proposals to include waste incinerators in new legislation”. The Taoiseach unveiled at a Fianna Fáil Ard Fheis the idea of a fast-track planning system to further remove accountability in the planning process. This comes on top of the removal of powers from councillors to decide on matters of infrastructure and the imposition of prohibitive charges for submissions by ordinary people in the course of planning applications and appeals. Will the Taoiseach tell the House, the Minister, Deputy McDowell, the Tánaiste – who I am sure would like to be informed – and the Progressive Democrats if incineration is to be part of the new Bill to be unveiled before Christmas? The Progressive Democrats view on this issue was delivered quite emotionally last Thursday at a meeting in Sandymount by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. It would be appreciated if the Taoiseach could give the House the Fianna Fáil view and clear the matter up.

As I stated recently, the legislation on infrastructure which aims to move some major national projects forward is under discussion in the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. It will be brought to Cabinet in due course. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the office of environmental enforcement within the EPA is working to secure enforcement of environmental legislation and to provide better resources for local authority environmental enforcement. This is working very well. The delivery of necessary waste infrastructure is being speeded up at regional level and is progressing well. The establishment of new structures to provide waste prevention, minimising and recycling and to promote the development of markets for recyclable material is progressing very well. New producer responsibility initiatives are being introduced for end-of-life vehicles, tyres, electrical equipment and construction demolition waste and this is progressing very well. It is hoped to publish a national biodegradable waste strategy in 2003. I thank the Deputy for his support in all those areas.

The Taoiseach will forgive us for not taking his reply very seriously, given that the Estimates provide for a 32% cut in EPA funding. It is difficult to foresee how the EPA will undertake those projects.

I am aware that the Taoiseach consults widely before taking any decisions, if he takes any action at all. We witnessed the case of the great survivor, the Minister for Defence, Deputy Michael Smith, who is smiling in his seat beside the Taoiseach.

He is the great warrior.

The old war horse.

Has the Taoiseach discussed with the Minister, Deputy McDowell, and the Progressive Democrats in Galway West, for example, the prospect of locating a mass burn incinerator? That seems to be the issue which is upsetting the Progressive Democrats, understandably so.

No, it is not.

Both Government parties have a stated policy, that Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats believe mass burn incineration of unsegregated waste with no energy recovery is not an acceptable practice today. The Minister, Deputy McDowell, became very upset last Thursday at the public meeting and told my colleague, Deputy Gormley, and many others that the Ringsend incinerator is contrary to Government policy. Will the Taoiseach therefore assure the House that the proposal for incineration as proposed in Ringsend and in other sites around the country is effectively dead in the water, given that forensic analysis by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform? Will the Taoiseach say whether the proposal for mass incineration or the Minister is dead in the water?

It is the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government.

I believe Deputy Sargent has listened at length to the Minister, Deputy Cullen. He outlined Government policy a few weeks ago.

What policy?

The only policy there is.

What is the policy?

The Deputy's leader is entitled to the courtesy of hearing the Taoiseach's answer.

We would all like to hear it.

The policy has been clearly stated. I hope that the various infrastructural schemes will receive—

All of them?

There are approximately four major ones and they will receive support. There are some people who would prefer if local people did not make their views known to Ministers or politicians but they are entitled to do that and Ministers listen to these views. I do not know what the philosophy of the Green Party is on anything.

They are serial objectors.

I know its members are against everything. When Members have concerns about trucks coming through their area and they want to hear what is being proposed for the treatment of environmental waste, they are entitled to listen to those views. The Minister, Deputy Cullen, has clearly stated the Government position on these issues. The infrastructural Bill, which is not related, will be brought before the House in due course.

The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform.