Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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96. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the funding provided by the gum industry on an annual basis to assist with the cost of its removal; the corresponding figure for the tobacco industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1605/21]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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Under the terms of an agreement with the Department in April 2018 the gum industry committed to spending €10.2m up to 2020 on awareness raising activities relating to the disposal of their products. No funding is provided to my Department by the gum industry to assist in the removal of waste gum products. In the Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy, published last September, I committed to introducing an Extended Producer Responsibility Scheme for the tobacco industry by January 2023.  This scheme, arising from the transposition of the Single Use Plastics Directive,  will oblige producers placing tobacco products containing plastic filters on the Irish market  to cover a range of costs. This will include costs associated with cleaning up litter, collection of products that are discarded in the public collection system  and the subsequent transport and treatment of that litter and waste.