333. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to reduce the fees for products under a scheme (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43337/26]

The Deposit Return Scheme, or DRS, was introduced in February 2024 to encourage more people to recycle plastic bottles and cans and to deliver on our ambitious EU targets for the recycling of those products.

Provisions relating to review of the operation and scope of the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) are set down in the Separate Collection (Deposit Return Scheme) Regulations (S.I. No. 33 of 2024).

The deposit rate for containers has been set to optimise the return rate by consumers. Any reduction in the deposit amount for aluminium cans is likely to see a corresponding reduction in the return of aluminium and its recycling.

While the scheme is still in its establishment phase, it is demonstrating strong performance for both PET and aluminium returns at current deposit rates.