Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

285. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the status of the roll-out of the deposit return scheme; the number of retailers who have signed up to the scheme; if he will provide an overview of engagements with local authorities on potential planning permission requirements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3997/23]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I, as Minister for Public and Expenditure and Reform have no function in relation to the operation of the deposit return scheme. However, I am advised by the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, to whom this question is appropriate, as follows.

In keeping with our Programme for Government commitment, the Government is introducing a deposit return scheme in Ireland in respect of plastic bottles and aluminium cans.

The Scheme will help ensure that we meet our legal obligations under the Single Use Plastics Directive to collect 90% of plastic bottles for recycling by 2029 and incorporate recycled plastic to a minimum of 30% in all new plastic bottles by 2030. We also expect to see a dramatic reduction in the littering of these items following the scheme’s introduction, in line with the experience of other countries.

The scheme places responsibility for the successful collection and recycling of the items on the producers who have placed these goods on the market. Those producers have now come together to form a company DRS Ireland CLG, trading as Re-turn, which is designing and rolling out the scheme.

In July 2022, the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications granted approval to DRS Ireland as the approved body to operate a Deposit Return Scheme here under our national regulations and in November 28th, he launched the registration phase of the Deposit Return Scheme for retailers and producers. He also announced the deposit levels to apply to the products within the scope of the scheme.

The national regulations set out how the scheme will operate and the protections available to retailers when accepting returned containers. Re-turn is responsible for determining the finer operational details of the scheme and is rolling out a major awareness and communications plan around deposit return. This will play a significant role in embedding the scheme with producers, retailers and consumers. Registration is being actively promoted amongst retailers and producers by Re-turn at this phase of the project.

DRS is a major project involving the development of complex IT, infrastructure, and communication systems, which will be delivered by Re-turn over the course of 2023 with a 'go-live' date of February 2024.

The planning system and its requirements are a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage.