Re-Turn scheme profits
Peadar Tóibín accused the Re-Turn scheme of generating large sums from unredeemed deposits and not properly paying shops handling cans. The Taoiseach said the scheme has helped recycling, is kept under review, and bin-scavenging and related issues need further examination.
The Government introduced the Re-Turn scheme. Since 2024, that scheme has made €103 million on unredeemed deposits. That is €103 million of citizens' money resting in the scheme's account, most of it permanently. The operator of the Re-Turn scheme also made money through the sale of aluminium cans that we collected for it. It also gets money from the producers of the drinks, but still refuses to pay the shops that handle those cans in the first instance. This is like a tax, except that it does not go towards paying for hospitals, education and housing. Instead, the money goes to the company involved and to its CEO's salary, details of which that company refuses to publish.
The Government's scheme has given rise to another mess and a new phenomenon, namely bin-raiding or bin-scavenging. In the name of cleaning up the country, the Government has incentivised people to dump the contents of bins onto the streets. This is costing Dublin City Council €500,000 per year.
Comment on this
Will the Government look to reform or end this shambolic scheme?
Comment on this
In many respects, the scheme, which was introduced by the then Minister, Eamon Ryan, has had a strong impact in the context of recycling and so on. There have been positives to the scheme. There is no doubt about that. We keep all schemes under review. Bin-scavenging needs to be examined more in terms of scale, prevalence and how we deal with it.