Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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208. To ask the Minister for Health the amount spent on bottled water and disposable coffee cups by his Department to date in 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48192/19]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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My Department is working closely with the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment identifying specific actions aimed at promoting public sector behaviours which are consistent with the Government’s environmental policy. 

As a Department, we are well advanced in these areas and have initiated multiple internal initiatives including the elimination of the purchase of single-use bottled water and single-use plastic cups in Q3 2018. 

We do provide water using refillable water dispensers within the Department.  All our water dispenser bottles are collected and subsequently reused.  The following table outlines the costs involved to date in 2019.

Disposable coffee cups were provided for staff up until August 2019, the cups supplied were all compostable cups.