Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 October 2013
469. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he has examined the possibility of introducing a levy on packets of chewing gum and the amount a levy of 5 cent, 10 cent and 20 cent on a packet would raise. [40669/13]
View answerMy Department has examined the possibility of a levy on packets of chewing gum. However, the examination concluded that such a levy would not directly address the root cause of the associated litter problem, which is the incorrect disposal of chewing gum. Rather than allowing for the punishment of the minority of consumers who do not dispose of their gum properly, the introduction of a levy would have an unfair impact on the majority who do. Moreover, the administrative and regulatory burden arising from the introduction of such a levy – for the public sector, industry and consumers – might well be disproportionate to any potential gains.
My Department does not collect information in relation to the volume of sales of chewing gum. I am not in a position therefore to estimate the potential revenue generated through the imposition of a levy although it would, of course, also depend on the extent to which any levy would be expected to affect consumer behaviour.
In 2011, I renewed an existing negotiated agreement between my Department and the Chewing Gum Industry for a three year period until 2014. The agreement aims to build on the success of public awareness campaigns and education programmes to date and represents a €9.6 million commitment by the industry over the period. The renewed programme contains several important new elements along with a billboard and in-store advertising campaign aimed at reinvigorating and enhancing previous campaigns including:
- responsible gum disposal messaging on all television advertising in Ireland,
- responsible gum disposal messaging on chewing gum packaging, and
- new online and educational programmes targeted at younger consumers.
I am confident that the agreement, coupled with the substantial increase in funding, represents a genuine commitment by industry to finding a solution to improper gum disposal. In particular, the 2012 Gum Litter Taskforce campaign proved successful with monitoring results indicating an improvement in gum litter levels in participating local authorities.
