Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Deputy Bruton has been clear on the need for much stronger accountability. I also looked at the definition and felt that it was not strong enough. Even when we went back to the three Rs - reduce, reuse and recycle - I felt that the reduction part of that is one of the parts that is not strong enough in the proposed Bill. There is a strong focus on the recycle and the waste management. There is a strong focus on those components. There is some discussion around the reuse piece but that reduction piece - the initial piece around thinking about the inputs that are coming through - is a part that needs to be stronger.

Of course, the direction of travel is clearly signalled now in Europe where we are looking now at discussions on the right to repair, and a new "R" getting added at the other end in terms of the right to repair. One might also add the "rethink" in that. In all of those issues, it is, as Deputy Bruton stated, around design thinking.

I am concerned that if we end up with a Bill that is addressing issues at consumption points we will be going three steps back in that we are hoping that consumption patterns change. We hope that consumption patterns changing has this knock-on effect in terms of industry and manufacturing in some sense when, in fact, with this legislation, we really should be going quite directly in manufacturing terms and being very clear there around things such as design. In the report Deputy Bruton produced for us, something the Deputy looked at was how, for example, new, virgin or fresh plastic is treated versus recycled plastics. How do we ensure that there is, in fact, a preferential treatment of recycled plastic in design?

How do we build the right to repair and protection against in-built obsolescence into a requirement? Perhaps there need to be penalties for knowingly building in obsolescence. The witnesses will be aware that many NGOs have challenged us to institute penalties where we see greenwashing or abuse, with materials being presented as meeting various standards when they in fact do not. One scandalous form of recycling saw fresh palm oil being presented as used cooking oil. That had consequences.

How does this Bill reach into industrial manufacturing? Some of that manufacturing is not taking place in Ireland but across the EU. In that context, the key element is procurement. It should not just be about incentivising different choices by individual consumers, in that the State, as a major purchaser and consumer, should also be setting high standards. We have a chance to set high standards through the law while demanding even higher standards through our procurement. The witnesses will be aware that I have drafted legislation on meeting quality criteria in procurement. A key issue in that regard is what kind of material is being purchased. This has to do with the design and making reductions from the very beginning. Procurement decisions should take into consideration the supply chain's past in terms of design and quality and its future in terms of life cycle survival, potential reuse and the right to repair. Procurement is one of the tools that can be used. I hope that these areas might be strengthened in the Bill. The producers' responsibilities need to be more centre stage.