In June 2012, I initiated a wide-ranging review of the existing Producer Responsibility Initiatives in Ireland. The overall purpose of this review is to assess the nature and level of the challenges which are currently facing the existing Producer Responsibility Agreements as well as the forthcoming challenges expected to arise in the management of various waste streams.
As part of this review, I published a report on Tyres and Waste Tyres in November 2013. The report makes a number of recommendations aimed at improving the current regulatory regime for the treatment of waste tyres, including the establishment of a full PRI scheme and an end to the self-compliance option. The report is available on my Department’s website, www.environ.ie, and was subject to a period of public consultation which expired at the end of January 2014. My Department is currently assessing the submissions received from the various stakeholders as part of the consultation process. It is my intention to establish a Tyres Working Group, similar to the current WEEE Batteries Monitoring Group, which will assist my Department in drafting the new Regulations which are required to underpin the regulatory structures recommended in this report.