Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

The scheme was in planning for a number of years. In 2020 and 2021, there were public consultation processes which were open to everybody to offer their advice or suggestions on how the scheme should operate. When I drew up the regulations, I made it a legal requirement that the machines should be accessible to all. The Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications has a waste advisory group on which the NDA is represented. There were discussions with the NDA before the scheme was implemented. We followed what is best practice in other countries. These machines have been operating for 40 years in other countries across western and northern Europe. We had the experience of what happens for disability groups from visiting those countries.

As a result of that, there were certain standards implemented, such as, for example: that the slot for inserting bottles is 1.2 m off the ground in order that it is accessible to wheelchair users; that the machines can be used by people who are blind such that they are not required to push buttons on a screen; that the machines issue receipts automatically; and that people can feel whether a bottle is being accepted or rejected. Even in light of all that, when a scheme is launched, one needs to see afterwards whether it is working for the different groups. That is the purpose of setting up the advisory group. It is also the purpose of inviting every disability group to take part and tell us directly how they would like the scheme changed, whether it can be improved and whether it can be made more accessible. I am sure it can be, and I am certainly open to hearing any suggestions.

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