Aisling Dolan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State, who has responsibility for communications and the circular economy. This is all about tackling challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, waste and pollution. As the Minister of State is fully aware, it is based on three principles: eliminating waste and pollution; circulating products and materials; and regenerating nature as well. Design is so important here. We all talk about products and the end user and how when we design a product the end user has to be part of that to make sure the product is used. For example, women were never considered when safety belts were being designed. Perhaps what we need here is to build such an approach to product design by all designers into the principles underlying the strategy and fund for the circular economy.

I pay tribute to some of the local groups in the areas in Roscommon and east Galway that I represent. For example, the Roscommon Women's Network has its CycleUp store and it also facilitates training for women on how to reuse materials. They have made owls out of pre-loved materials. These are fantastic creations. They are well known and have been given to Ministers and Ministers of State as well. I hope the Minister of State, Deputy Smyth, will also receive one from the Roscommon Women's Network.

Like Senator Moynihan, I pay tribute to the many places that do shoe repairs. It is very simple. We have amazing shoe repair shops in many towns, such as Willie Burke's in the Ballinasloe area.

Local authorities need funding for general operatives on the ground. That is crucial. There must be engagement between the Departments of the Environment, Climate and Communications and Public Expenditure and Reform and local authorities to make sure there is funding for general operatives to tackle littering in bogland areas and towns. Galway County Council is down on the number of general operatives in my municipal district. We need such operatives because they can tackle litter, build awareness, facilitate incentives relating to signage and draw up the policies and strategies we all want to implement. We do not have people on the ground to do that, however.

I will address some of the key elements of the Bill. I am very supportive of the single-use levy. We saw what happened with plastic bags under the previous Government. It is vital to have CCTV tackling litter. This is a significant issue. The most recent report of Irish Business Against Litter came out in recent days. It states that the two main issues in Ballinasloe are disposable cups and the fact that we cannot get CCTV to tackle some of the problem areas.