Dr. Sarah Miller:

I thank the Chair and committee members for inviting us to present our vision for consumer durables in a circular economy. The Rediscovery Centre is the national centre for the circular economy. For the past 20 years, the centre has been focused on leading Ireland’s transition to a circular economy. Based in Ballymun in Europe's first circular economy demonstration centre, the Rediscovery Centre acts as an innovation hub and creative space delivering education, providing research and enabling policy in collaboration to support the transition. Our work covers wide-ranging circular economy themes, but in this statement we will focus on our operational research and advocacy experience in reuse and repair through social enterprises working with textiles, bikes, paint and furniture. We are going to start by sharing our vision for these consumer durables in a circular economy and conclude with some suggestions and solutions as to how that vision can be realised. For this I am going to pass over to Ms Downey.