Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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161. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will consider a call to create a centre of excellence for the circular economy embracing science, design, knowledge transfer, commercialisation and behavioural strategies to encourage consumer adoption. [25376/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The Programme for Government, Our Shared Future, and the Waste Action Plan 2020-2025, A Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy (September 2020) committed to a range of actions to support Ireland’s transition to a circular economy. This included the adoption of a high-level whole-of-government Circular Economy Strategy. The Circular Economy Strategy (December 2021) provides a national policy framework for Ireland’s transition to a circular economy and the Circular Economy, Waste Management (Amendment) and Minerals Development (Amendment) Bill 2022, currently before Oireachtas and due to be enacted before the Summer recess, places the Strategy, and the commitment to a circular economy, on a clear statutory footing.  

The Strategy sets out an overall approach to circular economy policy, identifies key objectives and indicates the direction of future policy development. Subsequent iterations of the Strategy will include detailed measures designed to achieve these objectives and the establishment of a centre of excellence for the circular economy will be considered in that context.