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

On that very point, we wish to thank Voice Ireland and Friends of the Irish Environment, groups that have done detailed research work on this area. With regard to the deposit refund scheme, we are saying that there should be a deposit refund of 15 cent. Our estimates are that if the producer's contribution is increased from the current 0.2 cent to 1 cent per container, it would cover half the costs. International experience shows that another quarter would probably be covered by the deposits which are not claimed. The final quarter of the costs would be recovered from the value of the materials that would be collected in a much more sophisticated and effective way. We believe it is possible to introduce this scheme without a cost to the Exchequer.

In regard to the first part of the Bill, we are not proposing a ban, rather we are proposing what the Minister himself suggested before he changed his mind - that the Government impose a levy on non-compostable cups and uses that money to pay for the compost bins we need to start changing our entire system. In further measures without costs, we would ban plastic straws, plates, knives and forks outright, which is what the European Union is saying we should do.

I can answer the Taoiseach's question. To the best of our knowledge, according to the best research and best international experts, we can do this without a cost to the Exchequer. Will the Taoiseach issue the money order if the committee passes it on that basis that afternoon? We are giving the Government two or three years to implement it. We are not saying it has to be implemented tomorrow. We will be doing it at the same time as the UK Government will do it. We will be doing it at the same time as we must radically change our entire recycling system to meet new higher European recycling standards. I believe we do have the answers to the Minister's concerns. We can do this without a cost to the Exchequer. No one knows for certain, as it takes time and we will have to spend a bit of time working through it, but the best research we have states it is possible. Will the Taoiseach issue the money order if the committee votes it through this afternoon on that basis?

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