Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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122. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the commencement date for a new end-of-life waste tyre compliance scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20334/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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We have a serious problem with waste tyres in Ireland. In discussions prior to the adoption of the 2007 Tyre Regulations, it was made clear that this was the last opportunity for the tyre industry to embrace environmental compliance and take responsibility for the waste it produces. If the required improvement did not happen, it was made clear to the tyre industry that the system would be reviewed and replaced with a full Producer Responsibility Initiative (PRI) model.

As part of a wider review of producer responsibility arrangements completed in 2014, the structural and environmental effectiveness of all aspects of the current system for managing waste tyres was assessed. The results of this examination were stark. The report, published for consultation in November 2013 and in final form in April 2014, found:

- A non-compliance rate with the Tyre Regulations of 46%,

- A lack of consistent and accurate data,

- That the current system was not tracking data flows well, and

- Between 25% and 50% of waste tyres were not accounted for with widespread illegal dumping.

There will be no new tyre tax or levy under the new system. Consumers already pay a disposal fee to their tyre retailer whenever they buy a new tyre. The model that I am introducing will formalise a charge that tyre retailers already apply but which does not currently go towards the cost of managing the waste in all cases, as it is supposed to. It is absolutely right and fair to provide a system that ensures it is properly directed in the future so that the consumer does not pay twice: once at the point of purchase and again when the taxpayer has to meet costs incurred by local authorities for the clean-up of illegally dumped tyres.

Repak ELT replaced TRACS as the sole compliance scheme for tyres as of 1 November 2015. Repak have a long and successful track record under existing producer responsibility arrangements in the packaging area and have been instrumental in making Ireland a top EU per former in this waste stream. The new system will provide a sustainable and environmentally focused system for the management of waste tyres. Like existing systems for waste tyres elsewhere in the EU and for all other waste streams in Ireland, this system will respect the producer responsibility approach and be based on the polluter pays principle. These are long-standing environmental principles which are reflected in both European and domestic legislation.

My Department is currently drafting regulations to underpin the new Tyres and Waste Tyres Compliance Scheme and the intention is that these regulations will come into effect from 1 January 2017, which will also be the commencement date for the full PRI Scheme.