Single-use plastics legislation
Eamon Ryan accuses the Government of blocking climate and waste reduction Bills and asks about promised alternatives on plastics. Richard Bruton says legislation to ban single-use plastics will come through an EU directive and will also raise recycling targets.
It is another shameful day for Fine Gael when it comes to the environment. The Taoiseach's party has blocked with procedural glue the Petroleum and Other Minerals Development (Amendment) (Climate Emergency Measures) Bill 2018 in the same way that it blocked the Waste Reduction Bill 2017, which my party presented. With regard to that latter Bill, the Minister, Deputy Bruton, promised that the Government would present alternative proposals to ban the single use of plastic, to get away from single-use plastic coffee cups and possibly to introduce a deposit refund scheme. It was promised within weeks. Have we seen any advancement of that or is Fine Gael continuing to do absolutely nothing when it comes to protecting the planet and the environment?
Comment on this
There will be legislation to introduce the ban on single-use plastics. It will come in under an EU directive which is being finalised. There is strong support for that. That same legislation will increase the targets that we must meet in respect of recycling. The Government is determined to respond to those new commitments which we are signing up to.