Gerry Horkan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I wish everybody a happy new year. I hope everyone has a productive, healthy and happy year going forward. I also congratulate the Leader of the House on his recent marriage. I congratulate him and his new husband.

I wish to refer to the proposed worldwide ban on the importation of plastics by China, which is an issue that is becoming more relevant by the day. China proposes to ban imports from Ireland and many other countries. I understand that 95% of this country's plastic waste has gone to China in recent years. Therefore, it is important that we invite the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment to this House to discuss the measures that are being taken and will be taken to resolve the issue. There have been fires in recycling depots here in the past number of years. We do not need the stockpiling of various types of plastics to develop. I refer to the more useful ones that are recyclable and the other plastics that tend to end up in the process as well.

Notwithstanding all of that, Ireland has come a long way with the introduction of the plastic bag tax, better light bulbs, pay-by-weight waste collection, a ban on the use of smoky coal and the introduction of a recycling scheme for waste electrical and electronic equipment, WEEE. All of these measures were implemented by previous Fianna Fáil Governments. We need to consider how we generate waste now. We must come up with ways to reduce, reuse and recycle as much as possible because landfill is a thing of the past. The new thermal treatment plant, waste to energy incinerator or whatever one wishes to call it, which depends on one's perspective, is located in Dublin. It is operating at capacity despite all of the talk that it would not even be half full when it opened. I remain to be corrected on that aspect but that is my understanding of the issue.

It is important that the Leader arranges a debate on the matter with the Minister soon because waste is a health issue. Health affects people when they are unwell and housing affects people, particularly if they do not have a house. However, every single household in the country produces waste so each household should be encouraged to have many ways to responsibly dispose of their waste. By that I mean in such a way as to minimise the amount of waste that goes to landfill or is incinerated.

We need to talk to producers about banning certain types of packaging that is not recyclable. For example, the polystyrene sheets that are used to wrap food and provide pizza bases and fast-food boxes. Many producers are using more sustainable packaging but some do not. We should aim towards households and businesses being able to say they have a strategy where they do not have residual waste for landfill or incineration, that as much of what we consume is reusable and, ideally, a reduced amount of packaging. We have all heard about people getting packages over Christmas that comprised of huge cardboard boxes that had a huge amount of paper inside or plastic packaging to wrap a tiny product. I call on the Leader to arrange a debate, as a matter of urgency. I am conscious that the Green Party has prepared a Waste Reduction Bill but that is not why I have raised this issue. I note that the Green Party has called for a discussion on waste reduction. Waste is a topic that affects every house in this country and must be tackled, as a matter of urgency.