Mr. Matthew Collins:

Yes. To respond to the Chairman's questions, the plastic strategy was published yesterday, so we have not had a chance to consider it fully at this stage. The focus of the Department's thinking now is really the legislative package that will be formally concluded probably this quarter by the European Union. That will bring in the legally binding waste targets for Ireland. They set the targets from 2025 to 2030 and 2035, and it is really in that context that we would very much focus on how Ireland will move from where we are today to delivering on those targets.

The best way to describe what we are thinking of is an attempt to put in place sufficient evidence so that we know what initiatives and measures we are proposing. We would like to understand what the impact would be, determine the best structure for the Irish context and know the cost. That will be an ongoing process now that we are approaching the conclusion of negotiations on waste targets. Whether or not the Minister has done so, we have already raised the issue of tackling plastic and packaging with the Commission and the European Union at an official level. Depending on direction of the Bulgarian presidency, the circular economy package it is due to be discussed by the Council of Ministers. I have no doubt that the Minister will raise the issue at that point as well. It will be the Minister's first chance to consider the publication of a plastics strategy, and hopefully also to sign off on the new targets for 2025 and 2035.

The real challenge for us as a Government Department is providing robust evidence on the impacts of the instruments we choose to use, whether they are economic or regulatory in nature. Deputy Dooley asked if we would consider ways of testing the viability of options. That is certainly something we would like to pursue. In our work with the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, we explore possible research projects examining how various measures might operate in an Irish context. That would be a challenge, but it is something we would definitely be willing to look into.