Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister to the House and broadly welcome the legislation. It is important that we move forward on it. As was mentioned, it is important that when issues are identified by any party in the Oireachtas we need to be able to listen to each other, engage with each other and hear the ideas of others.

In 2016 the former Senator, Grace O'Sullivan, put forward legislation. I was a co-signer of that legislation, as was Senator Ruane. The three of us put forward the legislation at the time. We were speaking based on the science and the facts in terms of what we knew about the damage that microplastics were doing to the environment. That was before "The Blue Planet" documentary series and before the popular concern. It was based on evidence and it was an argument to the good in that regard. Ireland cannot afford to wait for wide popular outcry on each issue before we move forward and take action. It is similar with the legislation put forward by Deputy Sherlock. This legislation was being put forward before the issue became part of the popular consciousness. It was before we had schoolchildren begging us to take action, as they now are on these issues.

Another point is important to note. It is not simply a matter that we said it in 2016 and we have lost three years.We are now, in 2019, raising concerns in respect of other issues, such as fracking. A motion put forward by our Seanad group, together with former Senator, Grace O'Sullivan, highlighted Ireland's extraordinary dearth of marine protected areas, which are vital in terms of climate action and protecting our fragile marine ecology. That is another good proposal which I hope is taken up by the Government and implemented sooner rather than later. Since we introduced our Bill in 2016, the science has moved on and each new discovery has served only to accelerate our concern. I recognise that there are elements in the Government's Bill which build on what we proposed in 2016 and which reflect the accelerated scientific awareness. For example, in 2017, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation discovered that at a certain point, we will be moving towards having more plastic than fish in the oceans, which is extraordinary. Last March, research by Anela Choy published in Scientific Reportsdetailed that microplastics, which were previously seen as more of a surface concern, are to be found at the deepest levels of the ocean, as deep as 3,200 ft, and within marine organisms of every kind, not just fish.

In the context of the evolving science, we are concerned about loopholes in the legislation. Whether or not the Minister accepts some or all of our amendments, I ask that he listen with seriousness to the flags and loopholes we have identified. He has made the case regarding the derogation he sought, which has its own time process. However, we are learning new things all the time and identifying new dangers and potential loopholes. It will facilitate our moving forward in an effective way through Committee Stage if the Minister would indicate that he recognises this issue is not done and dusted but is, in fact, an evolving area. For instance, one of our Committee Stage amendments proposes that the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, should have a function to review these issues and seek to have further and strengthened legislation. This would offer a guarantee that the concerns and loopholes we are flagging now, even if they are not addressed in this legislation, will be subject to a continuous process of review. We are seeking an assurance that the Government is not simply being dragged into addressing these issues but, rather, is looking to gather for itself the best possible information and will be proactive in strengthening legislation in this area into the future.

Many people in this country are concerned about the issues we are highlighting. This is an important moment in time. The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Creed, is engaged in negotiations on fishing against a background of huge concern about overfishing and the degradation of our marine environment from that perspective. In addition, we have a single-use plastics directive from the EU on which other countries are moving to legislate. However, we continue to talk about possible levies and lifestyle changes rather than moving towards a prohibition on many forms of single-use plastics, as we will be required to do within the next two years. There must be a sea change in how we approach this area and that is why I am flagging these related issues. We must have a culture of ambition when it comes to dealing with plastics and how we treat our oceans. I hope the Minister will offer us some assurance in terms of what the next steps might be in the wake of this legislation.