Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

On behalf of the committee, I thank Mr. McDonald and Ms Byrne from the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications for engaging with us today on this important issue. I heard Mr. McDonald say the plastic is not the responsibility of the Department. There is a considerable amount of plastic to be dealt with. It poses a monumental challenge. Farmers have paid the levy on it. I am aware that environmental conditions have changed for the people who collected it. We are not going to start disputing that. It was profitable to collect plastic in the past and now it is not. I hope we will have a homegrown solution for our plastic in the very near future. I was in the recycling plant in Littleton on Monday and I was impressed with it. Its throughput will only improve. We have a homegrown solution. For those who have plastic stockpiled, the economic viability of being able to get it moved is very questionable. The farmers have paid a levy and we do not want an environmental issue arising over plastics. I strongly urge the Department to consider solutions as to how we can get this plastic moved and recycled. We are here with no agenda today other than to make sure the plastic is dealt with environmentally correctly. Therefore, I ask Mr. McDonald to listen to what the committee members have said today. This issue has to be dealt with.