Séamus Healy (Tipperary, Workers and Unemployed Action Group) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Private Members' motion. I confirm that I support it, and commend the Green Party for bringing the Bill forward again. The Bill was initiated almost two years ago, and it was passed here at Second Stage on 20 June 2017. It was then discussed on Committee Stage. The Bill had strong, significant, indeed overwhelming support here in the Chamber, and indeed on Committee Stage. However, the Bill has been effectively blocked by the Government, particularly by the former Minister, Deputy Naughten, and his refusal to issue a money message. It appears from the speech made by the new Minister, Deputy Bruton, this evening, that that stance will continue. In my view it is absolutely shameful. It is anti-democratic. The Bill has been discussed by the House, supported by the House, and has been supported on Committee Stage. There is no doubt that any attempt to block the Bill is anti-democratic and should be reversed. I appeal to the Minister, on the basis of democracy, to allow this Bill to continue.

This is not the only issue on which the Government takes this very cynical approach. It allows a motion or a Bill to progress through the House or to Second Stage and then cynically stops it in its tracks. It has happened recently on the issue of the closure of post offices. In October 2016 this Chamber was unanimous in opposing the closure of post offices. This included members of the Government parties at the time. However, in the last number of months An Post has adopted a policy of closing numerous post offices. Some have closed already and further post offices will close. It also happened, and continues to happen, on the issue of housing. The Chamber has supported calls to declare an emergency in the area of housing, but the Government is cynically stopping that provision from being put in place. I appeal to the Minister to allow democracy to take its course and to allow this Bill to go forward.

There are two particular elements in the Bill. One is the ban on disposable, non-compostable tablewear. The sale or free distribution of disposable plastic cups, glasses, plates and other tableware would be banned from 1 January 2020. The other element is the deposit and return schemes. The Bill states that by 1 July 2019 the Minister shall make regulations in exercise of his powers to provide for a deposit and return scheme for containers in which beverages are sold. Those two elements are absolutely necessary; they are eminently common-sense measures. They may make a really positive impact on tackling the question of plastic waste. This Bill, as other speakers have said, is supported not just by Tidy Towns committees and Friends of the Earth, which has gathered approximately 15,000 signatures, but I believe there is a huge majority in the country and among the public for supporting the measures set out in this Bill.

The measures contained in it have been tried and tested successfully in many other countries. Plastic is devastating our seas, our animals and the environment. It is in the human food chain and is effectively polluting our bodies. Significant volumes of packaging are being produced. Anyone who goes to a supermarket, for example, will find they are inundated with plastic packaging. Not too long ago, there was not much of this packaging. We did not need it then and we do not need it now. Much of this plastic packaging, coming from fossil fuels such as oil and gas, is not recyclable.

The measures outlined in this motion are necessary and sensible, having been tried and tested in other jurisdictions. They have the support of the majority of the population. The sooner the Government agrees to allow these measures to take their course, the better.

Waste collection services have been privatised in recent years. This has created a disastrous situation throughout the country. This privatisation should be reversed with local authorities allowed to recommence waste collection as a public service.

I support the motion and hope the Minister and Government will change their minds, act in a democratic fashion and allow the measures contained in this motion take their course.

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