Declan Breathnach (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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589. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the new regulations he expects to have in place early in 2017 pertaining to producer responsibilities for environmentally sound management of waste tyres; the details of his proposed mandatory compliance scheme to ensure that the vEMC levy is actually used for the measures intended by the scheme, that is, for waste management of end of life tyres; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that there is a section of the industry that continues to impede the producer responsibility model; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39880/16]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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It is my intention to introduce new regulations early in 2017 to address Ireland's chronic waste tyres problem.

These regulations will enable me to put in place a full compliance scheme for tyre operators, which will be financed by a visible Environmental Management Charge (vEMC).

The Compliance Scheme will be operated by Repak End of Life Tyres (ELT) with a registration and reporting role for the Producer Register Limited. The scheme will carry out all regulatory functions on behalf of its members.  All operators will be obliged to provide data on the numbers of tyres coming on and off the market. This will be the first time that there will be clarity in this regard. It will be mandatory for anyone placing tyres on the market in Ireland to join the compliance scheme.

The visible Environmental Management Charge (vEMC) will formalise the current charge which consumers pay to retailers when purchasing new tyres.  Currently the fee paid by consumers only covers the cost of the collection of waste tyres.  The new vEMC will cover the following:-

- Collection fee,

- Transport fee,

- recycling/recovery fee,

- Scheme management costs,

- Auditing,

- Retail handling fee,

- Marketing costs,

- educations/awareness costs (information for public and the industry), and

- Contingency Reserve.

I met with some tyre industry representatives recently.  I listened to their concerns and I have done my best to address as many of them as possible. I have also received a lot of support during the extensive consultation that has taken place with the industry for the introduction of the scheme from other operators in the tyre market

By introducing these new structures, I am implementing the recommendations of the Review of Producer Responsibility Initiatives in Ireland which was published by my Department in 2014.  I am convinced that the new structures will address the lack of regulation in this market to date and address the occurrences of stockpiles of waste tyres that could have a detrimental effect on the environment and human health.