Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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126. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the work his Department is undertaking in order to eliminate the use of materials which can neither be recycled or reused in keeping with the Circular Economy Strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9375/22]

Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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 The Circular Economy Bill 2022 aims to support Ireland’s transition to a circular economy by providing the necessary legislative basis for several key measures including the Circular Economy Strategy; the Circular Economy Programme; the National Food Loss Prevention Roadmap; and the Circular Economy Fund.

As Minister of State for the Environment, Climate and Communications, I will have the power to introduce environmental levies on certain single-use items, including single-use cups, containers and packaging, and to prohibit their placing on the market where a suitable re-usable alternative is, or could be made, readily available. These measures will be introduced by means of secondary legislation. The Bill will also provide for the inclusion of targets related to reuse and repair in Waste Management Plans, with the aim of saving resources, reducing emissions and preventing waste.

Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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127. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the support provided under the Circular Economy Innovation Grant Scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9376/22]

Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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The purpose of the Circular Economy Innovation Grant Scheme (CEIGS) is to provide support to projects which work in the Circular Economy space, with the aim of advancing the Circular Economy in Ireland and raising awareness of the need to transition to a Circular Economy The successful projects allocated funding under the 2021 funding round of the CEIGS are set out in the table below.

All funding awarded is governed by grant agreements between my Department and the relevant applicants. These grant agreements set out the deliverables for each project.

10 projects were initially selected for funding under the 2021 round, with a total funding commitment of some €490,000. Subsequently one project, ‘Reuse Revolution for 3rd Level Institutions’, was withdrawn by the applicant as the project was no longer proceeding. The relevant grant agreement was terminated by mutual consent, with the Department having incurred no expenditure in relation to the project.

PROJECTS