Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

593. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding the tyre industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6805/17]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

A report on the regulation of tyres and waste tyres was published by the then Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, for a period of public consultation, in November 2013. Sixteen submissions were received, including one from the Environmental Protection Agency. All submissions were given careful consideration before the tyres report was finalised.

The recommendations contained in the final report are now being implemented.  As part of this, the Waste Management (Tyres and Waste Tyres) Regulations 2007 have been reviewed and new regulations will be introduced shortly, which will enable me to put in place a full compliance scheme for tyres.  This scheme will be operated, under approval from me, by Repak ELT.  Under this approval the scheme will be monitored by and be accountable to me.

There is nothing unusual about the designation of a single compliance scheme for a particular waste stream. Indeed, the above mentioned report examined this aspect and recommended that the tyre market in Ireland is such that only one Producer Organisation would be viable. This single compliance model already works in other waste streams for example, farm plastics and packaging.

The ending of the self-compliance option was also a recommendation of the report.  The self-compliance model in the current regulations is difficult to enforce.  Its removal will ensure consistency and provide a level playing field for all tyre operators.

Under the Waste Management (Tyres and Waste Tyres) Regulations 2007 anyone, including any operator from the Irish tyre industry, can apply for approval to operate a compliance scheme for tyres.  Any such application would have to take account of the reporting structure that is being put in place by the new regulations.  All tyre producers, i.e., all operators placing tyres on the Irish market, will be obliged to register and report to a “black box”, which will be operated by Producer Register Limited. An application would also have to indicate how a scheme will meet its members' regulatory obligations.