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

This is similar to the amendments we have just made in section 6. In this case it provides for the national biodiversity action plan and the national disability inclusion strategy such that when it comes to the drafting of the national food waste prevention strategy, the consultation requirements under that are brought into line with those in the circular economy strategy. Again, they were tabled on Committee Stage by Deputy Whitmore and I thank her for that. It was indicated then we would accept it and reintroduce on Report Stage.

Amendment No. 23 provides for the publication of an annual report on the implementation of the national food waste prevention strategy. It is a slight redrafting of the position accepted at committee, the purpose of which is to provide for the publication of that report on a website. As this amendment provides for annual review and is in line with what was indicated would be accepted on Committee Stage, I do not accept it. However, amendment No. 22 gives effect to the intention of Deputy Bríd Smith's amendment.

I cannot accept amendment No. 20. The process is under way at EU level on setting targets to reduce food waste across Europe. These will take into account data to be reported from member states by the middle of this year for the reference year 2020. Subject to EU developments, it is expected the baseline year that links to the 2030 50% reduction target will be the reference year of 2020. Ireland's food waste dataset for 2020 will be reported by the EPA this summer and adoption of the legislative proposal on EU food waste reduction targets is foreseen in the second quarter of next year. The draft national food waste prevention roadmap recently made available for public consultation commits to setting interim targets following the establishment of the baseline and these will take into account developments at EU level. We must await the outcome from Europe to know what that baseline is and on that basis I cannot accept the amendment.

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