Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

A vibrant circular economy is an essential part of a sustainable, carbon-neutral and resource-efficient economy. The first whole-of-government circular economy strategy was published in December 2021 by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications to provide a national policy framework for Ireland’s transition to a circular economy. Alongside this, the Department is playing its part in promoting opportunities available in the circular economy at local level. This aligns with Our Rural Future, which recognises the benefits for rural areas of transitioning to a more circular model. Social enterprises are important players in the circular economy, often being the only enterprises handling certain goods or materials that would otherwise be discarded, while also providing training and job opportunities. The continued implementation of the national social enterprise policy and the development of its successor will underpin support for these social enterprises.

Dormant accounts funding has supported social enterprises in this area, including start-up funding of €10,000 and non-financial supports for circular economy projects. The community services programmes, CSP, under my remit supports community-based organisations to promote local social, economic and environmental services. There are currently 31 CSP organisations providing circular economy-related projects, including a new initiative on upcycling of bicycles and e-bikes for those on low incomes and marginalised and disadvantaged communities. This pilot is run by the Department and the Department of Transport. The LEADER programme from 2023 to 2027 also has potential to support projects linked to the circular economy, and this will be considered as part of the current LEADER local development strategy process.

This year, the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, is sponsoring a special circular economy award for the SuperValu Tidy Towns competition. We also have just opened a new strand under the community services programmes specifically for circular economy projects led or run by Travellers. We are trying to drum up more work and projects in this area, which has been inspired by projects such as Bounce Back Recycling in Galway, and Kingdom Furniture Revamp in Castleisland, two projects led by Travellers. It is an area we are determined to grow as part of the strategy.

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