Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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70. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if there are plans to establish the necessary statistical capacity to track material flow in Ireland; and if he will under the forthcoming circular economy legislation commit to setting national material flow targets. [51440/21]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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My Department has discussed the preparation of a material flow analysis for the Irish economy with the Environmental Protection Agency in the context of the forthcoming establishment of the Agency’s Circular Economy Programme. I believe this would represent an important statistical and analytic tool for future policy development regarding the circular economy, and my Department will continue to discuss the necessary scoping work for preparing such an analysis with the Agency. I do not propose to bring forward specific legislative targets in relation to material flows at this time, as it would be precipitous to do so in advance of carrying out the material flow analysis. However, I note that the pre-legislative scrutiny process for the Circular Economy Bill 2021 is currently underway, and I look forward to receiving the report of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment and Climate Action on the Bill.