Mr. Leslie Carberry:

On the last point about resources, the Environmental Protection Agency's budget for 2022 is obviously part of the annual Estimates process and, as part of that, the agency has confirmed to the Department that the resources necessary to convert to the circular economy programme from the national waste prevention program has been factored in.

On the issue of obsolescence, I raised the point on the measures that are best put in place at EU level around right to repair, green design, etc. There are measures we are taking at home and some we want to progress further. There is direct funding, for example, for circular economy initiatives under the Environmental Protection Agency green enterprise programme and the Department's circular economy innovation scheme, which was launched this year. Both of those are open to a range of different circular economy initiatives. Green design is an approach we want to see more of and which we will support through these funding models. The boosting of repairs is an area we will look at through the strategy. Another aspect when considering obsolescence is the consumers' willingness to avail of repaired or refurbished goods. There are commercial operators that refurbish ICT and phone equipment at present. More research may need to be done on what are the barriers consumers think about before purchasing a refurbished phone. For example, are consumers unsure of the quality of the product? Are they concerned whether the producer they buy from will remain in business for the duration of the warranty? This is relevant for data bearing devices. Are they willing to sell their device to a refurbisher who will then resell it? Can they be sure their data is secure? There are many elements that need to be considered beyond just the design. There is also the consumer behaviour analysis aspect at which we want to look. There will be an increased focus on awareness under the strategy which we specifically need to work on further. I will hand over to Mr. O'Donoghue who will speak about the food waste issues and some other points raised.