Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am delighted to speak on this important issue. Some time ago I raised the recommendation that this Government should adopt the ideas of all parties and none for this type of legislation and it is heartening to see our ideas in the Bill, as well as those of other Members. There is much similarity to the Harmful Plastics (Prohibition) Bill 2019 which was put forward by me and my Fianna Fáil colleagues. That is good. This is about working together to get things done. There are a number of amendments from Members on both sides of the House. Amendments are important. No legislator should rush through legislation, no matter how noble, due to EU deadlines. It is important to get things right. It serves nobody to have bad legislation which has to be sorted out later.

It is important that we all realise the havoc these plastics wreak on our environment. They appear to be innocent, but they are not. Microplastics are entirely unnecessary pollution and have environmental impacts. Studies have shown they can be ingested by marine animals, leading to physical harm and reproductive or toxic effects. There is evidence to suggest they are entering the human food chain, but not in enough quantity currently to suggest a human health risk.

What level of public awareness exists about the presence of these pollutants in the products they use? I believe the public is unaware not only of the presence of the pollutants in so many products that sit innocently in the home but also of the serious harm they can do.Microbeads and other microplastics are used in many cosmetic and personal care products, such as scrubs, soaps, lotions and toothpastes. They are added to make the product more abrasive, such as for exfoliation or tooth whitening, and these minuscule pieces of plastic enter the environment when consumers rinse them down the drain.

I agree with the Bill. We need to do so much more for our environment. However, the Bill is not worth the paper it is written on without a massive public awareness campaign. Our amendments reflect that concern and I would urge caution in rushing this through without a consultation process which also invites all manufacturers of plastic consumer product packaging in the State to have their say, which is very important. We need to establish a consultation process under the legislation involving all key shareholders from the fisheries, recreational fisheries, tourism, energy, conservation and other relevant sectors to propose and review protections for such protected areas and to input into future designations. It is sometimes said that votes are a massive part of a legislator's work but actual legislation and the shaping of it is by far the most important job here, and we need to ensure we do our job on such an important Bill.

While I would welcome Ireland leading the way in the EU and following the US to ban these pollutants, I would like to know more about our enforcement. If we do ban their use, will there be inducements or encouragement for the manufacturing sector to phase out their use?

Seal Rescue Ireland, which receives practically no State funding to do its important work, was earlier this year releasing seals that had been badly hurt in the ocean back into the wild. During the release, its members spoke to schoolchildren about the importance of our oceans and our marine life. It struck me that, for an island nation, we do not prioritise our oceans, beaches or marine life. We need to start immediately, given the ocean is the place these pollutants end up. It has to stop and this legislation will ensure that happens.

The marine sector is a vital part of Ireland's economy. It provides a key part of our tourism sector and our film industry, creates and sustains jobs, boosts small local economies and enriches our landscapes. Protecting and maintaining the quality of our oceans is a pressing concern for the long-term health of our State for future generations. If the House will excuse the pun, we need to take our heads out of the sand.

Ireland has specific legally-binding EU obligations in regard to achieving good environmental standards in our seas. However, the Government has failed to effectively implement the required steps. Linked to this is the failure of a number of our beaches to pass EPA standards. Our tourism sector draws heavily from the clean oceans that sustain our nation. Our marine life depends on our clean oceans. Making it an offence to dispose of any substances containing plastic microbeads down the drain or directly into any freshwater or marine environments, as stated in this Bill, will go far to protecting and cleaning up our seas.

Ireland has failed in its European and international obligations to protect 10% of its marine waters under Article 13 of the marine strategy framework directive, MSFD, the Aichi biodiversity targets, the UN sustainable development goals and the OSPAR Convention. Ireland was declared a whale and dolphin sanctuary in 1991, yet we read that the number of whales and dolphins becoming beached has increased by 350% in the past ten years. The Irish Wildlife Trust report of 2018 shows that 48 species native to Irish waters are facing extinction. Fossil fuel exploration seismic testing has been occurring regularly in Irish waters since 2013, severely impacting all marine life in the areas in which it is conducted.

In May 2018, we in Fianna Fáil supported the actions proposed in the motion debated in the Seanad to strengthen Ireland's role in protecting our natural oceanic resources for future generations. Ireland's Clean Oceans initiative was launched at the beginning of this year, yet this is the first co-ordinated action on land and at sea to address the serious issue of pollution of the oceans with plastics. Tackling our unsustainable production of plastic waste and microbeads has to take priority. We are all on this Earth together and we need to do our bit to help the future generations who will inherit the consequences of the decisions we make now. This is becoming a huge issue. People want to learn. I ask for an awareness campaign to let people know what is happening, which will be crucial. It is wonderful that we will, hopefully, get the Bill through today. The Minister has my support.