Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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I was in St. Patrick's boys' national school in Drumcondra this morning. Tomorrow is a plastic-free day in the school. Getting that level of understanding among young people of how to deal with plastic waste through reduction and recycling shows how much attention the problem is generating. That is to be welcomed.

I acknowledge the Sick of Plastic campaign which will run from 21 April. The six principles behind the campaign are valid. I refer to retailers offering more products without packaging or with easily compostable or recyclable packaging, as well as households and consumers choosing products with easily compostable or recyclable packaging or using less plastic. I have worked successfully with major retailers on the issue of food waste. There will be a similar focus on plastics. In January the European Commission published the European Strategy for Plastics in the Circular Economy. The strategy focuses on plastic production and use. It sets a goal of ensuring all plastic packaging will be recyclable by 2030. Member states are asked to consider using the extended producer responsibility model in dealing with plastics. We have used the model successfully in Ireland.

This year Repak is celebrating 20 years as the producer responsibility scheme for packaging in Ireland. The success of the scheme is evident in the consistent exceedance of the EU packaging targets. In addition, Ireland has operated a successful producer responsibility scheme since 2001 for the collection of agricultural non-packaging plastics. My officials have also been encouraging stakeholders in Ireland to ensure they engage with the Commission on the pledging campaign contained within the strategy. I am also working at grassroots level in Ireland as I believe education is the key to effecting change.

Last November I launched the first ever national recycling list that covered the entire country. Regardless of where people live or what company collects their recycling bin, the materials going into it are the same. I also launched the recycling ambassadors programme at the end of 2017. It aims to provide 650 workshops across the country to educate communities on how to use recycling bins properly. Other suggestions have been made to me, including the introduction of a deposit and return scheme for plastic bottles. The merit of its introduction in Ireland is still under consideration. I am considering a pilot scheme for it. Introducing changes without detailed examination can have unintended consequences. Our waste performance meets our waste targets and is well ahead of most of our EU colleagues. There is no indication of what deposit charge is being proposed. One deposit return machine in a shop could cost €35,000 to buy. Any new scheme should be clear on how much it will cost, the additional waste benefit to be achieved and whether it will tackle the largest problems. The introduction of an expensive new system on top of what is already a successful kerbside collection system needs to be analysed carefully. That is why rolling out an initial pilot scheme would help to tease out many of these issues and the costs involved.

It should be borne in mind that the main cause of litter pollution in Ireland in 2016 was cigarette litter. Bottles accounted for 1.6% of total litter composition. Although I am pleased that the consecutive annual national litter pollution monitoring surveys have shown that the situation is generally improving across the country, I am still concerned that the fines for offences in place under the Litter Pollution Acts do not serve as a sufficient deterrent. It is my intention in the near future to seek Government approval for substantial increases in the statutory fines for litter offences.

Recently, I wrote to the European Commissioner with responsibility for the environment to welcome the plastics strategy. I assured him Ireland fully embraced the ambitions of the new strategy. I asked the Commission to focus, in particular, on the most difficult non-recyclable plastics such as soft wrapping, film and single use items such as coffee cups and plastic cutlery. I am determined to make sure these products, if they come onto the market here or elsewhere in Europe, will be recycled or biodegradable and that they will not go into landfill sites. On foot of this, I am looking forward to the Commission proposing within the next month EU-wide actions to tackle single use plastic items.

I do not have time to outline fully all of the work I am doing on plastics, for example, under the national waste prevention programme. However, I am aware that plastics present an urgent global problem. Ireland is taking action and we will take more in partnership with our European colleagues.