Ms Bernie Kiely:

The Department has to look at the evidence that it has in front of it. The success of the scheme in getting 88% of the materials back at any given time into the recycling system and to provide that service to farmers who repeatedly express their satisfaction with the scheme shows this is a successful scheme. The Department is always concerned that the material is going in the right place. That is why the scheme exists in the first instance. That is why the Department invests so much in oversight and governance and why the Government invests so much in the enforcement services.

There is absolute concern and absolute conviction that the environment must be protected. We are pleased that in this scheme, we are working with farmers and farmers are working in co-operation with producers to ensure the materials they use are being returned for recycling successfully.