Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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26. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the steps that have been taken in relation to EU directives on the circular economy vis-a-vis textiles; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17949/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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The current Waste Framework Directive includes a requirement for all member states to have a separate collection system for textiles by 1 January 2025 to support the transition to a textiles circular economy. Ireland's separate collection system for textiles consists of a national network of local authority and charity bring banks, charity retail shops as well as some private bring banks. Some retailers already operate take-back schemes in their stores.

Our system requires substantial enhancement to ensure the treatment of used textiles aligns with circular economy principles. To this end, my department is developing Ireland's first National Policy Statement & Roadmap on Circular Textiles. This document has been prepared with input from the EPA, local government and my department's Textiles Advisory Group. The draft roadmap will set out steps required to enhance our separate collection system and I look forward to launching the draft document for public consultation in the coming weeks.

In July 2023, the European Commission proposed a further revision of the Waste Framework Directive. The legislative proposal includes the mandatory introduction of an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme for textiles. The key objective of the proposed EPR scheme is to apply the 'polluter pays principle' to placing textiles on the market while creating a sustainable scheme for used textile collection, sorting, reuse and recycling.

I welcome the recent announcement that the Council presidency and European Parliament representatives reached a provisional agreement on the legislative proposal. While the agreement is yet to be formally confirmed by both institutions, it is expected to be adopted formally in July 2025 and an EPR scheme for textiles is expected to become mandatory by 2028. My department has already started the foundational work with the sector for an Irish EPR scheme.