Barry Ward (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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238. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the position regarding the plastic bag levy; how much it has accrued in each of the past five years; if this funding is ring-fenced for specific initiatives; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16518/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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The Plastic Bag Levy continues to play a major role in reducing the usage of single use plastic carrier bags. Since Ireland introduced the levy in 2002, the first country in the world to do so, usage of such bags has dropped from over 132 million in 2006 to less than 5.5 million last year.

Income accrued from the levy in each of the past five years is as follows:

• 2020: €3.88 million
• 2021: €3.36 million
• 2022: €1.83 million
• 2023: €1.35 million
• 2024: €1.16 million

Up to 2023, income from the levy was paid into the Environment Fund. The Environment Fund was renamed the Circular Economy Fund under the Circular Economy and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 2022. It supports communities and businesses in transitioning to a circular economy by providing financial support for projects that promote waste prevention, reuse, and recycling, and raising awareness about the need for a circular economy.