Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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101. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment for the up-to-date position on provision of deposit return scheme machines at all civic amenity sites nationally; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6759/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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The Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) operates on a return-to-retail model, where consumers bring empty containers back to a retailer to recoup their deposit. There are currently over 3,000 retail return points, about 90% of which are Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs), providing a high level of coverage across the country. In its first year, almost one billion containers were returned through retail collection points.

The DRS scheme also allows for non-retail operators, such as civic amenity sites, to provide take-back facilities to complement the collection infrastructure provided by retailers. The priority for Re-turn, the DRS operator, is to maximise the availability of RVMs to ensure every consumer has easy access to a return point. An RVM Coverage Roadmap is now being developed by Re-turn to identify potential locations where no RVM return point currently exists. Civic amenity site locations will be considered as part of this Roadmap.