Timmy Dooley (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State and Senator O'Reilly for their work in bringing forward a sensible amendment. It does not solve the problem entirely but it goes part of the way. The concerns I had, raised with me by Cup Print and others, were that we were potentially eliminating the option for a paper cup and replacing it with an option for hard plastic. I did not take the concern on board just because it was coming from Cup Print but because I looked at the volume of plastic involved. I get fully the hierarchy mentioned by Senator O'Reilly but we must really consider the volumes. The volume of plastic involved in the manufacturing of a flimsy, cheap alternative that might be comparable with a paper cup with a levy attached would do much more damage to the environment than a paper cup with a small amount of film on the inside. It is from the perspective of volume use that I make the argument.

Littering is another matter. I spoke at length the last day about this and I do not intend to repeat myself. We must find an appropriate manner in this country for the collection of waste. As far as we can, we must limit the supply of material that can be cast aside after single use, and that is important. In parallel with that, we must have a collection system that is fit for purpose and will help to reduce the phenomenal ongoing level of littering. We have a mentality in this country of just discarding certain items. I see it in clothing, and although it may not be for this debate, there are plastics used in the production of clothing. I have a family and I see that although clothing is not quite a single-use item, some of the chain stores produce flimsy items of clothing at a very cheap rate. That generates consumer demand for changes of colour, style and you name it. It may cost €4, €5 or €6 for a t-shirt, for example, and those items will not be worn too often in this day and age. It creates demand.

A host of measures will be needed to address how we manage our business with overall footprint on the environment, whether it is consumable paper cups, throwaway t-shirts or cheap alternative materials that are a significant drain on a limited resource. We are moving in the right direction but we have much more to do and a short enough period in which to do it.