Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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743. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if his Department has ceased the purchase and use of single-use plastics; the public bodies and agencies under his remit to which he has issued an instruction to cease the purchase and use of single-use plastics; when the instruction issued; the bodies which have confirmed that they no longer purchase and use single-use plastics, respectively; the bodies that have not provided such confirmation to date; when they will confirm; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29991/19]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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My Department is implementing the Government decision on the 3rd January 2019 to eliminate the purchase of single-use plastic cups, cutlery and straws in Public Bodies.

My Department began to eliminate the use of single-use plastics in 2018. All staff were provided with re-usable aluminium drinking bottles and biodegradeable or compostable drinking cups were made available for use by visitors. No single-use plastic cups, cutlery or straws have been purchased by my Department since 2018.

I can also confirm that the agencies under the remit of my Department - the Western Development Commission, Water Safety Ireland, the Charities Regulator and Pobal - no longer purchase any single-use plastics. There is a small stock of plastic cups remaining in the Charities Regulator, though supply arrangements for compostable cups for the Regulator's office are already in place.