Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I very much welcome the announcement yesterday by the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Deputy Denis Naughten, that he intends to introduce a levy on the use of plastic coffee cups. This measure would achieve the same objective as one of the elements of the Waste Reduction Bill 2017, Second Stage of which was completed earlier this year. While the Minister's approach differs from the approach we have taken in the Bill, the Green Party will support his measure as a means of achieving the same end.

We have received a copy of a letter from the Ceann Comhairle to the Chairman of the Joint Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Deputy Hildegarde Naughten, indicating that the Government must state whether it will issue a money message to support the Waste Reduction Bill moving to Committee Stage. I apologise if this issue appears complicated. The Dáil has a significant problem in respect of how it progresses legislation that has completed Second Stage. Will the Taoiseach indicate whether the Government will be willing to introduce such a money message to allow us to use the Waste Reduction Bill to deliver the measure announced by the Minister yesterday and go further by introducing a deposit system for plastic bottles similar to the schemes introduced in a number of other jurisdictions? Will the Government support advancing our Bill to Committee Stage and introduce the money message the Ceann Comhairle has asked it to provide?

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