Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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227. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if his attention has been drawn to persons having to pay a visible environmental management charge on used tyres which were used in silage storage even though the levy was already paid on the tyres when they were originally purchased; his views on whether this is a disincentive to responsible disposal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16947/21]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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Tyres held on farms for silage storage purposes are considered historic and predate the introduction of the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme for tyres. The visible Environmental Management Cost (vEMC) would not therefore have been applied to them. Recognising this issue, and in advance of the introduction of the scheme, my Department provided €700,000 to help remove historic waste tyres from farms. The funding was allocated across numerous geographical locations and the budget was fully expended. In the case of such historic tyres, the primary responsibility for the management of this waste, including costs for removal or disposal, lies with the holder of the waste, i.e. the natural or legal person in possession of the waste, or the producer of the waste. The Waste Management Act 1996 imposes a general duty of care on holders of waste. A person may not hold, transport, recover or dispose of waste in a manner that causes, or is likely to cause environmental pollution. Since the introduction of the EPR scheme for tyres, operated by Repak Elt, any tyres which have incurred the vEMC are collected free of charge by Repak Elt through registered waste collectors.  I understand Repak Elt has no records of tyres on which the charge has been paid subsequently being delivered to any farmers.