To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to detail (i) the conversations she has had with councils to allow people to visit recycling centres without first having to book appointments; and (ii) the reasons for continuing to use the booking system at recycling centres.

The majority of Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) have now re-opened across Northern Ireland with the latest information showing that 94 out of 96 sites now operational. The most recent figures gathered from across all 11 local councils indicate that a total of 15 HWRC sites across Northern Ireland are presently operating some type of booking or appointment system.

In April of this year, I approved a set of key principles and guidance to support councils with issues around the safe re-opening of HWRCs, you can view this here. In order to protect the health and safety of HWRC staff and the public during this pandemic it is important that this set of guidelines, which includes maintaining effective social distancing, are followed and some councils have decided that a booking system has enabled them to better manage this at some sites.

The operation and ongoing management of HWRCs, including the implementation of any booking or appointment systems, is a matter for each individual council to decide upon and my Department has no powers to direct them in relation to these aspects of their service delivery.