Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 February 2026
168. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the actions his Department is promoting or funding to support sustainable and ethical fashion, including incentives for repair, reuse and recycling of clothing, regulatory proposals for extended producer responsibility for textiles, and public awareness measures to reduce overconsumption; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14237/26]
View answerNext month, I intend to publish Ireland's first National Policy Statement and Roadmap on Circular Textiles (the Policy Statement). The Policy Statement contains wide-ranging actions, and includes supporting the implementation of the Eco-Design for Sustainable Products Regulation led by the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment. Textiles is a priority product under this Regulation and the European Commission has already started work on secondary legislation to promote a sustainable fashion industry. The proposed Policy Statement contains actions to assist in the prevention and management of textile waste alongside measures to explore incentives for repair, reuse and recycling.
The revised Waste Framework Directive with respect to textiles entered into force in October last year. This Directive provides for an Extended Producer Responsibility Scheme (EPR) for textiles. Plans to create an EPR for textiles will support textile collection, sorting, repair, reuse and recycling while incentivising the use of sustainable fibres and sustainable business models.
Under this new law, Ireland will be required to transpose the Directive by June next year and have an EPR scheme for textiles in place by April 2028. My Department has begun work on drafting the necessary regulations and is working on an EPR Delivery Plan for stakeholder consultation this year.
The Department is also developing public awareness measures to reduce overconsumption. In 2024 and 2025 we ran a national digital and social media campaign 'Reverse the Trend' targeting young buyers of fast fashion. Its objective is to raise awareness of the impact of fast fashion to encourage the purchase of fewer new clothes, and wearing well through re-use, repair, swapping and sharing to minimise textile waste. The campaign will run again this year. The Department also funds the Re-love Fashion competition which runs in secondary schools and youth groups across Ireland with similar messages.
