Waste minimisation and waste reduction must be an integral part of public policy and recycling must be used to the greatest practicable extent, the Tanaiste Ms Mary Harney said today.
Speaking at the Progressive Democrats Waste Management conference in Dublin this afternoon, the Tanaiste said that there was a waste management crisis in Ireland, and that the litter situation is "little short of a disgrace."
The Tanaiste said that it is the duty of politicians to ensure that the public is informed about waste-management solutions. "It is our duty to ensure that emotion does not take over from rational debate," she said."Everybody is prepared to sign up for waste reduction and waste minimisation and waste recycling," said the Tanaiste. "The problem arises with the facilities for dealing with the waste that cannot be recycled. And this is where we need to be a bit more courageous in our approach."
"We must be prepared to use fiscal policy as a tool of environmental policy here where it is appropriate to do so," she added.
