Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 16 October 2025
150. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment 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]
View answer165. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment 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]
View answer168. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment 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]
View answer169. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment 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]
View answerI 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.
