Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1005 and 1006 together.  

Government waste management policy is set out in A Resource Opportunity - Waste Management Policy in Ireland, published in 2012.

European, national and regional waste management policy is predicated on the waste hierarchy as set out in Article 4 of the 2008 Waste Framework Directive (2008/98/EC), whereby the prevention, pre-paring for reuse, recycling and other recovery of waste are preferred options to the disposal or landfilling of waste.

Thermal recovery activities such as waste to energy, co-incineration (e.g. at cement kilns), pyrolysis and gasification, where the principle use of the waste is as a fuel to generate energy, sit on the 'other recovery' tier of the waste hierarchy and in line with European policy are preferred to the disposal or landfilling of waste.  

In this regard, 21% of managed municipal waste (by weight) was sent to landfill in 2014 compared to 41% in 2012 and 92% in 1995. New waste management targets recently agreed by the European Council include that Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that by 2035 the amount of municipal waste landfilled is reduced to 10% or less of the total amount of municipal waste generated (by weight).

The continued implementation of European, national and regional waste management policy to manage waste in line with the waste hierarchy will help ensure that Ireland is well placed to meet this new target.

The potential introduction of economic instruments designed to improve environmental behaviour are being considered in the context of a review of the Environment Fund.

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1008, 1033 and 1034 together.

Ireland is currently one of the top performing countries in the EU in terms of recycling and recovery. The EPA Progress Report Towards EU Targets 2017 showed that Ireland recycled  34% by weight of plastics in 2015, counting exclusively material that is recycled back into plastics. The EU target is 22.5% and Ireland is clearly well ahead of this target. 

In January 2018, the European Commission published the European Strategy for Plastics in the Circular Economy. The strategy focuses on plastic production and use. It sets a goal of ensuring all plastic packaging will be recyclable by 2030.

Since then, I have written to the European Commissioner with responsibility for the environment to welcome the plastics strategy. I assured him Ireland fully embraced the ambitions of the new strategy. However I also asked the Commission to focus, in particular, on the most difficult non-recyclable plastics such as soft wrapping, film and single use items such as plastic straws. I am determined to make sure these products, if they come onto the market here or elsewhere in Europe will be recyclable or compostable and that they will not go into landfill sites.

I have also welcomed very recent proposals by the European Commission to tackle the problems posed by single-use plastic items, and I am expecting both the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers to progress these proposals as soon as possible. I believe that working proactively with our European colleagues will achieve a greater environmental benefit quicker. 

In line with the potential for European bans and restrictions, I am considering what financial incentives or penalties I can introduce in Ireland, to tackle the problems caused by single-use plastic items in a way that is compatible with EU legislation.

I am looking to bring forward shortly practical solutions along with my government colleagues responsible for the marine environment and fisheries that will work in an Irish context.