Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I will bring back the points made by the Deputy to the Minister, Deputy Kelly. I should point out that the tyre working group met on 2 March last to begin the process of the implementation of the tyre producer responsibility initiative. All parts of the tyre industry, including retailers, wholesalers, manufacturers and importers, are represented at the group, which also includes representatives of the National Transfrontier Shipment Office, the Environmental Protection Agency, local authorities and the Department of Environment in Northern Ireland, where similar arrangements ultimately may be introduced. While the Independent Tyre Wholesalers and Retailers Association chose not to attend recent meetings, it is hoped it will attend future meetings of the group, as well as various subgroups, and make its contribution to the important detailed design stage now reached. The tyre working group is conscious of the need to keep the wider sector informed of its work and of the charges that are planned to address some misleading and inaccurate information circulating within the sector that is exaggerating significantly the impact of the proposed change. It is the intention of the group to issue a regular newsletter to the sector giving updates on the current position. The first such newsletter was published on 11 March and was circulated to approximately 2,500 subscribers through its e-newsletter. There will be ongoing consultation with the sector and once the new tyre tariff regulations are available, there also will be further consultation with the sector.

Twenty of the 28 member states manage tyres through a system based on the principle of producers' responsibility. The Government intends to build on the learning experience of those schemes. The tyre industry in Europe has been highly successful in dealing with the problem of waste tyres and currently is achieving a recovery rate of 95%. This should be Ireland's aim to be part of the overall transition to a more resource-efficient circular economy. I thank Deputy Troy for raising the matter.

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