I refer to the programme for Government with regard to the environment.

I am glad the Minister, Deputy Naughten, is in the Chamber. As he may know, some very hard-working people from our tyre industry are protesting outside the Houses today against the proposed levy which would see the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment impose a new tax on the motoring public. It would increase the cost of changing tyres on a motor car by €13 per car and hauliers would pay €15 or more per truck tyre.

Surely at a time when we are trying to keep our customers spending their money in the Republic we do not want people from the midlands and elsewhere buying their tyres in the North. People are working hard, selling and repairing tyres. They live in every parish, town and city in the country. We do not want to see their businesses being closed down.

The hard-working people in the tyre industry are working today. A handful of people are outside the Houses protesting.

It is more than a handful.

Let the Minister respond, please.

Tyres are a major issue for anyone travelling around the country. There are mountains of tyres in Ireland. The current system is not working. Between 25% and 50% of the tyres that are put on cars in this country are unaccounted for. The tyre regulations have a non-compliance rate of 46%. The current system is broken. Consumers are already paying somewhere between €1.75 and €3.50 for every tyre to be recycled, yet that is not happening.

We are introducing a clear and transparent system. The charge will be approximately €2.80 for car tyres. We are introducing a free scheme for agricultural tyres because we do not have a handle on those figures. We are determined to ensure that all of the tyres that are taken off cars in this country are fully recycled.