Ms Geraldine O'Sullivan:

I wanted to follow up on what Mr. Moloney said. It is a service that is working very well for farmers. I rang around and spoke to members of the environment committee of the IFA and nobody is aware of plastic in the yards. The way the service is structured allows for consistency. It is very evident, having listened to other witnesses earlier, that we are dealing with a very volatile market which has only been exacerbated by Covid. Having stability there and assuring farmers that a consistent service is available is very important. As Mr. Moloney outlined, it is a not-for-profit service. The collection charge covers the additional and increasing costs of the service. It is not a double charge but is designed to cover the cost of collection. As Mr. Moloney pointed out, it is a difficult market and it is not a high-value product.

From the farmer's perspective, it is important to know that the bring centres are there and that there is the opportunity to avail of collection. While it may not happen every year, when farmers do a clear-out it is very important that the service is there for them.