Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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146. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government whether his Department or the Revenue Commissioners have reviewed the remuneration and benefit structure of Re-Turn Ireland CLG’s executives and directors to determine compliance with fair remuneration and tax transparency standards. [56375/25]

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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149. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will liaise with the Minister for Finance to ensure that a full financial audit of Re-Turn Ireland CLG is carried out annually by an independent external auditor and laid before the Oireachtas. [56379/25]

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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161. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the total remuneration, including salaries, bonuses, pension contributions, and other non-cash benefits paid to executives and board members of a company (details supplied) in 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56361/25]

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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164. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government whether he will publish in full the audited accounts of a company (details supplied), including details of executive pay, consultancy and procurement contracts, administrative expenditure, and unclaimed deposits, in the public interest; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56364/25]

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 146, 149, 161 and 164 together.

Re-turn is a producer-led and owned, not-for-profit company established by beverage producers to meet their obligations under the Separate Collection (Deposit Return Scheme) Regulations.

On 25 July 2025, Re-turn published its annual report and financial statements for 2024 and a link to the document can be found here: .

In the annual report and financial statement, Re-turn provides comprehensive information relating to the scheme's performance in its first year of operation.

Re-turn is responsible for all operational and funding matters relating to the deposit return scheme, including staffing of the company. Re-turn is not required to publish individual CEO or directors' salaries; however, Re-turn's annual report does include information relating to director and employee costs.

A report from an Independent Auditor on the financial statements is also included in Re-turn's Annual Report.

I have no function relating to taxation matters.

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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147. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if his Department has carried out or plans to carry out a value-for-money assessment of the Deposit Return Scheme in its current corporate form, taking into account costs to consumers and the level of retained income by the operating company. [56376/25]

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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148. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the number of meetings or formal communications between officials of his Department and representatives of Re-Turn Ireland CLG since its establishment; and whether any concerns were raised regarding its financial management or accounting practices. [56378/25]

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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163. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government to outline the level of financial and operational oversight exercised by his Department over a company (details supplied), including audit arrangements, reporting obligations, and the frequency of departmental reviews or meetings with company representatives. [56363/25]

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 147, 148 and 163 together.

The governance and oversight framework for the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) is provided for within the Separate Collection (Deposit Return Scheme) Regulations 2024, the Ministerial Approval issued to Re-turn under those regulations and the Code of Corporate Governance for Compliance Schemes.

Re-turn is responsible for all operational and funding matters relating to DRS and while I have no function in the day-to-day business operations, officials from the Department monitor performance of the scheme closely and meet with Re-turn monthly to review progress on the scheme and to consider statistical updates. In addition, quarterly meetings are held to discuss strategic priorities and governance matters.

Regulation 7 of the DRS Regulations provides for a review of Re-turn's approval three years after the grant of approval and every third year thereafter. Regulation 8 provides for a review in other specified circumstances such as, for example, revised recycling targets.

Re-turn's Approval was granted in July 2022 which means the first approval review was initiated this year and is currently being considered. The next review scheduled under Regulation 7 is due in 2028 and every third year over the 10-year lifetime of the approval.

On 26 March 2025, I met with Re-turn's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. At this meeting, the company gave me an overview of Re-turn’s first 12 months in operation. The company described the nature and extent of its operations across the country and described the emerging potential for a first PET recycling plant in Ireland. No concerns were raised regarding Re-turn's financial management or accounting practices.

I understand that Minister O'Brien also met with the CEO of Re-turn on 23 May, when a general discussion took place regarding the Scheme's progress to date and future development plans.

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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150. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will review existing legislation governing levy-funded private entities to ensure that companies such as Re-Turn Ireland CLG are brought within a transparent audit and reporting framework comparable to that applied to semi-state or statutory bodies. [56380/25]

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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165. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the rationale for permitting a private company limited by guarantee to operate the national deposit return scheme rather than establishing a statutory or semi-state body; and the mechanisms that exist to ensure accountability to the Oireachtas. [56365/25]

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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168. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will commission an independent comparative review of a company’s (details supplied) governance model, remuneration structure, and consumer costs relative to equivalent deposit return schemes in other EU member states. [56368/25]

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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169. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government whether the statutory instruments and regulatory framework governing a company (details supplied) contain sufficient provisions for transparency and accountability; and if he intends to review or amend these to strengthen public oversight. [56369/25]

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 150, 165, 168 and 169 together.

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) requires producers to take responsibility for the products they place on the market at the end of their useful life. It is an established concept in EU law and has successfully ensured Ireland has met key EU recycling targets across various material waste streams.

The Single Use Plastics (SUP) Directive from 2019 requires EU Member States to reach specific targets for the separate collection of single use plastic bottles and for the % of recycled content in these bottles. The Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) established in Ireland is based on the EPR model, similar to many successful schemes already in operation around Europe. Producers and retailers have made significant financial investments to deliver the scheme successfully. Performance data relating to Ireland's DRS since its establishment is very positive and, as a result, Ireland is on track to meet our collection targets under the SUP Directive.

The governance and oversight framework for the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) is provided for within the Separate Collection (Deposit Return Scheme) Regulations 2024, the Ministerial Approval issued to Re-turn under those regulations and the Code of Corporate Governance for Compliance Schemes (or EPRs).

Regulation 7 provides for a review of Re-turn's approval in the third year after the grant of approval and in every third year thereafter. Regulation 8 provides for a review in other specified circumstances such as, for example, revised recycling targets. The approval was granted in July 2022 which means the first approval review was initiated this year and is currently being considered. The next review scheduled under Regulation 7 is due in 2028 and every third year over the 10-year lifetime of the approval.

Finally, the Code of Corporate Governance for Compliance Schemes is currently being reviewed to ensure its provisions reflect best in class standards of corporate governance appropriate to EPRs. The revised Code will apply to Re-turn and all EPR schemes under the Department’s remit.