Ms Bernie Kiely:

A number of letters have been exchanged over the past while between the Department and the committee. A lot of detail has been provided, as requested. The opening statement is designed to be helpful but not to swamp the committee with a lot of original material. Hence it might have looked very similar to the previous one. The Senator is absolutely right in that the Department's role is in governance and oversight. Some of the recommendations we made as a result of the mid-term review did relate to governance. We were concerned that there were vacancies on the board. One of the matters addressed to the group was to ensure board members were recruited from the appropriate sectors and all vacancies were addressed and that any upcoming renewals and vacancies would be addressed. It was all addressed in the annual report for 2024 published this year. It has a wealth of information on corporate governance. Training was also provided for board members. Like any board, it is an ongoing situation and a developing context around governance. There are a lot of updated regulations and responsibilities and it is important boards are aware of them. That was all done and we were satisfied that it was addressed.

The contingency fund has been treated. Measures have been taken to ring-fence the funds available to the scheme separately. These are the funds to be put into the contingency fund. We are working with the scheme to ensure the fund is built up steadily over the coming years to an adequate level.

In terms of enforcement, there was a legacy of plastic in yards. We and waste enforcement authorities at the local authority level were concerned by it. Working with the scheme, they have addressed that issue to remove the excess plastic to be recycled. As we requested, they have organised a campaign to get that plastic out of yards and recycled in a timely manner. We are satisfied it has been completed to our satisfaction.

I think the Border was another concern of the Senator's. My understanding is that there is quite a differential between the price of plastic here and in the North. A large part of this difference relates to VAT. There is more than just the levy in the difference. People have quite an incentive to avoid paying that VAT. The enforcement authorities, the local authorities, the Revenue and the Garda are all available to the waste enforcement system and they have all been co-operating with the IFFPG to tackle that illegal activity. The group has taken steps to ensure farmers who have paid the levy are also in a position to produce a code at the time of collection to ensure no illegal material is coming into the system. That costs everybody more money and drives up expenses. Were they all the concerns the Senator had? Was there anything else?