Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 March 2022
739. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the results of his engagements to date with maize growers and producers of plastic film arising from SI No. 326 of 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12430/22]
View answer740. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will detail his engagements and the results of same with the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Communications regarding maize growers and producers of plastic film arising from SI No. 326 of 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12431/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 739 and 740 together.
As the Deputy is aware, my colleague the Minister for the Environment, Climate Change and Communications Eamonn Ryan T.D. is responsible for the provisions contained in Council Directive 2019/904, known as the Single Use Plastic Directive.
These Regulations prohibit the marketing of single use plastics from 3rd July 2021 and included films of the type used to sow covered maize up to that time. However, maize growers may use existing stocks of maize plastic that were purchased prior to the commencement of this legislation.
My Department continually engages with the sector and producers of plastic film and will continue to do so as necessary. The producers of plastic film continue in their efforts to develop alternative products that will be compliant with these new Regulations.
Progress has recently been reported in developing new compliant plastic films. The effectiveness of these new compliant films has not yet been independently verified and my Department has impressed upon the producers of maize plastic the need for independent research to show their effectiveness.
In addition, my Department has had several engagements with officials in the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Communications regarding the regulation and implementation of same.
In parallel, in terms of support for the sector, my Department continued Value for Cultivation & Use (VCU) trials for covered maize in 2021 and produced the 2022 (plastic) Covered Recommended List detailing varieties suitable for maize producers using up existing stocks of the older plastic. In addition, DAFM re-commenced VCU trials for uncovered maize in 2020 to identify varieties better suited to Irish growing conditions and which do not require plastic covering. Following the minimum 3 years of trialing from 2020 until 2022 inclusive, my Department plans to produce a 2023 Uncovered Recommended List.
