Eoghan Kenny (Cork North-Central, Labour)
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12. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if his attention has been drawn to the proliferation of fires occurring in waste collection vehicles due to the presence of combustible lithium batteries within vaping devices, igniting in trucks while in transit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26098/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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To protect the environment and ensure the recycling of the valuable materials that they contain, it is important that electronic vaping devices are disposed of correctly. Proper takeback and disposal is also part of the transition to a circular economy.

Ireland uses Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) measures for dealing with waste streams such as batteries and waste electrical and electronic equipment. EPR requires producers to fund the collection and appropriate management of vaping devices when they become waste.

The compliance schemes with responsibility for WEEE/Batteries, WEEE Ireland and ERP Ireland, facilitate the collective take back of this e-waste for free, recycling via their battery collection network and dedicated battery boxes, supporting better segregation of these devices. Both schemes engage in awareness campaigns relating to the separate collection and recycling of vaping devices. They also have a dedicated page on their websites advising how and why to recycle vapes. In 2023, approximately 17 tonnes of vaping devices were collected and recycled by the compliance schemes, increasing to 29 tonnes in 2024.

Ultimately, a ban on single-use vapes provides the best remedy for the issues caused by the incorrect disposal of these materials. I understand that proposals by the Minister for Health to further regulate nicotine-inhaling products, including a complete ban on single-use vapes, are being considered by the Office of the Attorney General. Once completed, the provisions on single-use vapes will require notification at EU level under the Technical Regulation Information System (Directive (EU) 2015/1535) and under Article 24(3) of the Tobacco Products Directive (2014/40/EU).

I look forward to supporting the Minister for Health in progressing this work.