Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

So Fine Gael had to roll over and accept the Bill. It is like an episode of "Callan's Kicks"; it is unbelievable. This is the welcome to the new politics of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael coalition that the Independent Senators are being given.

This is a very serious issue. We have seen recently across Europe and North America a growing awareness of the dangers that micro-beads pose to our environment. After debate, the United States, Canada, the UK and six other countries have all come to a conclusion that legislation should be introduced to end the use of micro-beads. It is amazing that we are all playing catch-up with the United States on an issue of environmental damage being caused through activity by large companies. Micro-plastic debris in marine environments is growing in volume. It is likely to have a range of environmental impacts. There is evidence to suggest that micro-plastics are entering the human food chain. On the basis of current evidence, micro-plastics and seafood are not currently thought to represent a risk to human health, although uncertainties remain. Micro-plastics come from a number of sources such as larger pieces of plastic breaking down over time and industrial scrubbers used to blast-clean surfaces. A small percentage of marine micro-plastics come from micro-beads and other micro-plastics used in a variety of cosmetic and personal care products such as scrubs and toothpaste. As has been mentioned previously, these particles of plastic can enter the environment when consumers rinse them down the drain.

A number of companies are voluntarily phasing out micro-plastic in some cosmetic products in the EU. Some environmental organisations have been calling for a legislative ban on the use of micro-plastics in some cosmetic products. They believe that this will be a simple way to speed up industry efforts and to tackle an unnecessary source of micro-plastic pollution. A recent research report commissioned by the European Union recommended that more information be collected to help determine whether a ban is required and whether the industry is responding adequately to the issue. The European Commission is currently considering whether additional measures are needed to address the problem. We favour of a micro-plastic ban in cosmetic and personal care products.

The micro-bead campaign has also provided useful statistics on the amount of plastics currently in our oceans. According to it, 86 NGOs from 37 countries are supporting the campaign. Already, 117 different manufacturers that produce 446 brands have promised to remove plastic micro-beads from their products. On the campaign's website, it is possible to follow whole waves or clumps of plastics moving around our oceans, just as weather systems do. The European Parliament Research Service has also carried out research on the issue. Most of this points, as I have already stated, to increased levels of plastic and the unknown effects it will have on the food chain. My colleague in the Northern Assembly, Caoimhe Archibald, recently voiced Sinn Féin's support for a ban. She said concerns have been raised about the build up of plastics in oceans, their effect on fish and other marine life that may mistakenly eat them and also the potential for them to enter the food chain. She was told by the relevant Minister that departmental officials will work with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the other devolved administrations on the detail of proposals and legislation to be introduced.

The micro-plastics that are ending up in our streams, rivers and oceans are now entering the food chain because they are being consumed by fish and shellfish. As of yet, there are no conclusive studies on the health impact this will have on humans. However, studies conducted by Uppsala University in Sweden demonstrated that fish exposed to an environment polluted with micro-plastics will consume the plastic in preference to zooplankton. At the very least, this will affect the nutritional quality of the fish in Irish waters. However, the study also showed stunted development and cognitive deficiencies in the fish that consumed plastic compared to those in a clean environment. This indicates a significant risk both to the health of consumers and the survival of fish stocks. My colleague in the European parliament, Lynn Boylan, MEP, has been critical of the overall Irish Government response to the issue. Reflecting on the failure to act in a national manner and to look to Europe to take a line they can hide behind, she said:

This is typical guff from the Irish government who are as usual trying to export their excuses for inaction to Europe when the simple truth is that they don’t want to take any action themselves. ... If the government had bothered to do their homework, they would know that the European Commission has already said to the British government as recently as August that it can proceed to introduce a ban on micro-beads, explicitly stating that "a ban on certain substances on environmental grounds could also be compatible with the internal market". ... On top of this, France has already passed a law that will ban the sale of exfoliating cosmetic products containing solid waste particles from January 2018 whilst Sweden and Denmark are also in the process of preparing to move on this issue as well.

She continued, "I call on the government to spend less time on weak excuses and instead follow the example of these countries and come forward with a legislative proposal to ban these unnecessary micro-beads in cosmetic products." Therefore, a protracted consultation process before banning could result in significant environmental damage in the meantime. We agree this needs to be tackled at an EU and international level but taking action nationally would still go a way towards protecting marine resources at a local level. However, the period of research and consultation to decide how to go about banning micro-beads could make a large difference in the amount of environmental damage.