Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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107. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans to introduce a tax on single use plastics. [13196/21]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The introduction of new taxes is a matter for the Minister for Finance.However the Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy, launched last September, sets out our national strategy for single use plastics and contains a range of ambitious measures for dealing with these items. The Plan details the measures Ireland is taking under the Single Use Plastics Directive to prohibit certain items from being placed on the market. Under the provisions of this Directive single use plastic cutlery, plates, straws, balloons and cotton bud sticks may not be placed on the Irish market from 3rd July this year. This also applies to expanded polystyrene cups and food containers and all products containing oxo-degradable plastic. 

The Plan also contains our commitment to introduce a Deposit and Return Scheme for plastic bottles and aluminium cans and to lead EU efforts on dealing with disposable coffee cups through a prohibition on the use of these cups for sit-in purposes, a latte levy and an eventual ban on disposable coffee cups and cold drinks cups.