Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I would be very happy to look at what the Dutch are doing. The Office of Public Procurement reports to me. I have responsibility for the environment division, which the Deputy formerly had, and the circular economy, but I also have the procurement function under me. I have asked the Office of Government Procurement to form alliances with its Dutch counterparts which it did. I want them to do exchange work with each other on a range of areas, including in the circular economy because I knew the Dutch were quite advanced in that area. I have also worked through the Dutch Embassy on that. There has been considerable communication between them. I will ask them to look at the sectoral compact approach in the Netherlands as the Deputy has suggested. It is worth looking at that.

It is important to capture the enthusiasm of people who want to lead before the regulations come in. I am seeing a pattern all the time whereby I announce I am about to regulate for something and then I see people jumping the gun and doing it themselves in their sector out of their own enthusiasm to do it. That provides a testbed and information. It is a very positive thing. Any time anybody does that, I encourage it.