Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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243. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when the roll-out of brown bins by waste management companies will be mandatory for households in rural areas, in line with the waste action plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16638/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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The European Union (Household Food Waste and Bio-waste) Regulations 2023, which came into force on the 1 January 2024, oblige waste collectors to provide a bio-waste (brown) bin to all their customers regardless of where in the country they live. Enforcement of the regulations is a matter for the relevant local authority.

The expansion of the brown bin is being supported by a comprehensive education and awareness campaign to advise households of their entitlement to this service while also offering advice on how to properly segregate their food and other organic waste, further information is available on MyWaste.ie.

Effective enforcement of the household and commercial waste sectors to encourage increased segregation and recycling of municipal waste has been identified as one of the principal objectives of the National Waste Enforcement Priorities for the period 2025 to 2027. In this regard, I am advised that local authority waste enforcement efforts will continue to be targeted towards ensuring that waste collectors are providing the service as required.

Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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244. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if there are plans to ban the sale or use of Oasis (floral foam); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16639/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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Oasis (floral foam) is a phenol-formaldehyde foam used globally in the floral industry as a medium to support stems in floral arrangements while also acting as a water source. Research has found traditional phenol-formaldehyde foam breaks down into microplastics.

In 2023, the EU REACH restriction of Synthetic Polymer Microparticles Regulation (commonly known as ‘the microplastics restriction’), which aims to address the potential impacts of microplastic pollution on the environment and possibly human health, became law.

As REACH is an EU Regulation, this restriction applies directly in Ireland, as in all EU Member States. The European Commission, in cooperation with Member States, recently published detailed guidance for this complex REACH restriction. This guidance will be updated based on new questions received, and while the case of floral foams is not specifically addressed in either the Regulation or the current guidance, a request can be submitted to ECHA for further consideration.

My Department is currently engaging with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and the Health and Safety Authority on Ireland submitting such a request to ECHA.