THE amount of waste paper produced by the Houses of the Oireachtas every day was "prodigious", Dr Mary Henry (Ind) declared. She added that the legislators should be the first to set high standards for the control and disposal of waste. She was one of a number of members who spoke about the their own contribution to the £1.7 million tonnes of waste produced in Ireland each year.
They were contributing to the resumed Second Stage of the Waste Management Bill, 1995 which seeks to prevent and reduce waste production, to encourage and assist recycling and recovery of waste and to apply strict controls on the collection, movement and disposal of waste.
Mr Michael Lanigan (FF) suggested that documents from Government departments especially Environment should be printed on recycled paper. He argued that public offices were using paper that could not be easily disposed of.
Dr Henry said she received at least four large brown envelopes every day. She had tried to save them but had been told by the Superintendent of the Houses of the Oireachtas that she was creating a fire hazard.
Mr Dan Neville (FG) said society owed it to future generations to control the ever increasing levels of waste. Present recycling rates were a mere 7.4 per cent or 124,000 tonnes. He suggested the Minister should set a target to raise this to 20 per cent in five years.
The responsibility of each individual to look after his or her own waste was stressed by speakers including the leader of the Labour group, Ms Jan O'Sullivan Ms Ann Ormonde (FF), Ms Cathy Honan (PDs), Mr Brian Mullooly (FF) and Mr Bill Cashin (Lab).
Ms O'Sullivan described a pilot project by Limerick Corporation on "composting" waste. Much of what goes into dumps is organic and recyclable.
The second stage was passed.
In other business, the Minister of State for the Environment, Mr Bernard Allen, told Mr David Norris (Ind) that no firm decision had yet been made to build a national 50 metre swimming pool. Estimates of the cost were at least £17 million.
Mr Norris said proposals already with the Government showed that such a pool would attract 20,000 visitors a year contribute £4.7 million to GNP annually sustain 150 jobs and operate profitably.
The Minister of State for Health, Mr Austin Currie, told Ms Cathy Honan (PD) that the Kilkenny Incest Investigation Report did not recommend the introduction of a centralised child abuse register. The report acknowledged current practice and recommended the standardisation of child abuse registers, he said, adding that the recommendation of mandatory reporting will be dealt with in a discussion paper that is being finalised.
The House adjourned until next Tuesday.