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

Amendment No. 41 will change the wording from "suitable" to "recyclable", which will encourage and create what the Minister of State is hoping to do, namely, to have the circular economy fully operational. It is a matter of wording.

Similarly, amendment No. 42 seeks to encourage better outcomes than those that flow from the existing single-use alternatives. The Minister of State might outline what kind of engagement has happened with industry and business. While there were no amendments under the levies, there are concerns about the full implication and impact the Bill will have, on both manufacturing and disposal.

There really is a need to ensure that any levies are pro ratato discourage the disposal of products that have a longer lifespan. I heard what the Minister of State said about the paper versus plastic cup, for example, but my fear is that the consequence of some elements of this Bill would be that products would be advertised as reusable but their flimsiness would be such that they would not actually be reused or retained by the customer but would be discarded. That is not something that I, the Minister of State, or anyone else on this committee wants to see but there is a genuine fear within the sector. The Minister of State said he would engage with café owners but many of the elements of this Bill will come as a surprise not only to business owners, but also to consumers, given the speed with which it has come to this committee. In that context, I ask the Minister of State to outline the engagement he has had with industry and business. I also ask him to respond to amendments Nos. 42 and 43.

Separately, I cannot find the list of amendments that the Minister of State proposes to accept. Is it available on Microsoft Teams?