Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Fianna Fáil supports this motion on preventing single-use plastic waste. I acknowledge the Green Party's positive move in bringing it forward. We must confront the challenge of single-use plastic.

While convenient, single-use cups and tableware can have a significant environmental impact. It is not just that discarded plastics are visible along our roads, there is also a cost to collecting and disposing of them. A great many people were surprised to learn that many types of coffee cups are not recyclable due to the plastic coating applied to them. More and more people are making a greater effort to switch to reusable cups. There is a willingness and a goodwill to deal with environmental issues.

Ireland has a strong record in recent years in making improvements in recycling but there is space for so much more to be done. A deposit scheme can change behaviour, as evidenced by what happened when the plastic bag levy was introduced. Ireland was the first country to introduce this type of levy and now reusable bags have become the norm.

The Bill to which this motion is related is lighter on detail regarding how the policy proposal should work and may need further consideration in order to make it more workable. However, what is proposed is doable. We should be moving towards that. When people return their plastics, instead of getting money back they could, for example, obtain credit on their Leap cards. In that way, we could promote public transport also.

The recent IPCC report is very stark. Greater urgency is needed in taking on the challenges of climate change. I have no doubt that there is a willingness on the part of the public to take on these challenges.

Molaim an rún seo. Teastaíonn uainn úsáid na gcupán plaisteacha a laghdú ar mhaithe leis an timpeallacht. Tá roinnt feabhsúchán gur féidir iad a dhéanamh ar an mBille ach is féidir é sin a dhéanamh toisc go mbraithim go bhfuil an dea-thoil ann i measc an phobail chun dul i ngleic leis an bhfadhb seo. Molaim an rún.

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