Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

This cross-questioning is useful because we have been refused public debate. I would love to be able to sit down and work out various cost estimates or, indeed, any other proposals. Thereafter, the Bill could be amended. A lot of very good work has been done, particularly including two international examples.

While the Commission does not direct exactly which mechanism should be used, at various points in its circular economy package and directives it specifically puts forward the DRS as one of the very effective ways of doing it. Having talked to industry people and other experts in the area, having gone through this process in the past year, we know of no other mechanism that would achieve what will be an obligatory target when the directive goes through, as I expect it will.

Parliament has been considering this in real detail. It is not appropriate to shirk the responsibility and say that we will wait a few more years when the Department does not have an alternative proposal. If the Department had an alternative proposal with a better way of doing it, there would be a valid argument that we could debate on Committee Stage. After a year of extensive research, it is inappropriate for the Department to say it needs to do more research. I assure Mr. Collins that the research will come up with no conclusion. It is not possible to get an exact figure because it is such a complicated costing exercise involving multiple variables. For example, how can we apply a figure to the cost of the litter that is polluting our country this summer? It is very difficult to put a price on that. It is very difficult to debate it when the Minister is refusing to allow the Bill to proceed to Committee Stage and the Department does not have an alternative proposal. It would bring shame on this Parliament if we were to wait for everyone else to legislate in respect of this matter.