Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate those comments. I recognise Mr. Harrington is speaking for the Minister here. However, we will have an opportunity to talk to the Minister directly about this as well and kick the tyres on his commitments.

I will return briefly to the science again, just for a moment. The scientific rigour that has been applied here shows us that the research in an Irish context is nascent in the grand narrative of things. It is from 2014 I think. I acknowledge the witnesses probably have all been working in this area prior to this. Can I get a sense from the witnesses as to where the Legislature needs to go on this issue? That is pulling them from the realm of pure academic research into the realm of politics. I directing this at Dr. Nash. If she was designing legislation or a response to the scourge of microplastics and microbeads, this plastic pollution that is killing our flora and fauna and being ingested by human beings, where would she go, where would she start or what would she do? It is a tough one but I just want to get the perspectives of the witnesses on it because I think it is vital.