Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

On programme E, I welcome the €50 million allocated for the EPA. This touches on the issue we discussed under programme D.

Remediation of landfill sites is an issue, particularly in urban areas. The €26 million provided for this is very welcome. I will focus on the sum of €10.2 million for waste management initiatives that seek to increase awareness of the necessity to minimise waste and increase recycling. What is the Government doing to reduce packaging? It is key that we reduce packaging before we talk about recycling. Excess waste through packaging must be tackled. Will some of the €10.2 million go towards initiatives in that area? If not, what funding will be provided for this purpose? Is the Government talking to manufacturers here and abroad to reduce packaging? The public do not want so much packaging when their packages arrive because they must pay the cost of disposal. We would do ourselves a favour if we tackled the issue of packaging before products reach supermarket shelves.