Paul Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome Mr. Fitzgerald to our meeting. I have been reading his submission. For the record, I am small suckler farmer in the midlands and my form of silage is wrapped bales, so while I am familiar with the process, I was not familiar with the intricacies of the arrangement. I was aware I was paying a levy, but I was not aware of where that levy was going. From reading the two submissions, I would call the system being explained to us in both submissions as, and I do not use words loosely, extremely discriminatory. I would like to give Mr. Fitzgerald the opportunity to elaborate further on his submission to the committee, especially with regard to what I would call the missing 30% of the levy that I am paying. I have paid a levy on my plastics for ten years, give or take. The contractors have decided to get the farmers to buy their own plastic. I have been paying 100% of the levy, but from reading the submissions, while that entire levy is going to the IFFPG, it is only collecting 70%. Where is the 30% balance going? How is it being used? What is being used on?

On the frequency of farm collections or the conditions, if there are any, for the IFFPG to do them, in the documentation I have read, they are offering collection point collections and farm collections. I have a recollection of looking for farm collection myself, to try and avoid a bit of hassle, and it was not forthcoming. Mr. Fitzgerald might elaborate on that as well. Perhaps he would also elaborate a little more, from a private contractor's perspective, on what he mentioned about the Repak-style system that is in use for waste on the industrial side of things other than farming.

That is it for the moment, Chair. Basically, I want to give Mr. Fitzgerald an opportunity to elaborate further on the written document he has submitted to us in the context of the few points I have raised.