Timmy Dooley (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am reiterating the point that I addressed earlier in relation to the first group of amendments. It goes back to this concern that others and I have about the unintended consequences of what we are trying to do here. I have been shown cheap alternatives to the paper cup that are marginally more expensive. I have spoken to people in the hospitality trade who sell coffee and are of the view that there will be plenty of people who still will not have a long-term keep cup. There is no doubt that the industry will fill that void with a cheap alternative that has the capacity to be discarded after a single use. The impact of the life cycle of a product will mean that a piece of chunky plastic, even if it is recyclable, is draining resources to provide for a demand in the marketplace. People will not stop drinking coffee in an unplanned and an incidental way.The industry will find an alternative, as it always does, whether that be glass or plastic, which is the more likely option. When it comes to the regulations, we have to be careful that our eyes are wide open in terms of how we push demand elsewhere. I accept what Senator Boylan stated in respect of there being a film of plastic, albeit a very small one. Let us work to find a system or product that breaks down. While that is not ideal, the reality is that replacing it with a chunk of plastic would be a cheap alternative. My experience is that people attending an event get a bag from various companies with a plastic keep cup or whatever. Some of them are very poor quality. If a person uses it while driving - dashboard dining, as many of us have to - the cup drips, the person decides not to use it again and it is thrown away. We have to be careful-----