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

In fairness to our guests, they all stood. I compliment them on their contributions today. It is not easy. Doireann went first, and it was no bother to her. It is important for all members of the committee to hear the witnesses' voices, ideas and range of experiences. The Cathaoirleach of the Seanad, Senator Mark Daly, welcomed some of the Deputies to the Chamber of the Upper House, but after hearing today's contributions, I have no doubt that some, if not all, of the witnesses will be contributing in the years ahead in either the Seanad or in the Lower House. It was a great privilege to hear from each of them and I thank them for their contributions.

I wish to touch on a number of elements, the first of which has to do with other issues. Some of the witnesses may not be from Dublin, but people across the country will have heard about the failing water quality in Dublin Bay. We used to be renowned for our high water quality, and this change is cause for concern for everyone. It is happening because of the pollution in our rivers and streams, which is ending up in our water, including our drinking water. The Minister spoke about this yesterday and it is something that we are eager to tackle.

Molly mentioned the topic of water refilling stations. It is a major issue. I represent Dún Laoghaire, where fountains have started to be installed. Just as Caitlin spoke about the lack of public transport in the north west, particularly Donegal, I accept that there are not refill stations everywhere, but there need to be. Someone mentioned electric vehicle, EV, stations. I acknowledge that we have a lot of catching up to do in the coming years, but that is not to say that we are not ambitious. Our committee has the same concerns that each and every one of the witnesses has articulated well today. We work collaboratively and across party lines.

Garret's point on labelling was a useful one for us to consider. Comhairle na nÓg in my constituency invited public representatives to hear about the extent of the journey taken by food products. It was an eye-opener for us all, including the participants from Comhairle na nÓg. Garret was practical in acknowledging that small firms might not have the wherewithal or capacity where labelling was concerned. A voluntary scheme could work well. Customers, consumers and citizens all want to play their part in alleviating the worst effects of climate change. A labelling system could help with that and this idea needs to be explored.

A number of the witnesses referred to the circular economy. It is an issue that I am passionate about and that the committee has discussed at length in recent months. There is a lack of awareness. As with EVs and water, people want to contribute and make things better. Molly mentioned a lack of awareness. People want to dispose of their waste correctly and for certain products to have better lifespans. Manufacturers, governments and consumers have a collective role to play in this regard to ensure that there is either an ending or reduction of fast fashion and people feel empowered to use and reuse products, including second-hand clothes and so on. That all needs to be done as a matter of course without any stigma attached to it. It bothers me to hear that there is still stigma. So many high streets now have charity shops and second-hand clothes shops. From my reckoning, there are doing well.

I thank the witnesses for their contributions and for attending this meeting. I thank everyone in the Gallery. I also thank the Seanad for hosting us.