Agriculture Committee resumes discussions on the Irish Control Plan and Farm Plastics

The 9:30 am meeting will be broadcast from Committee Room 2 and the 3:30 pm will be broadcast from Committee Room 3 of Leinster House.

The Committee will meet with the following representatives.

• Meeting 1
  • (9:30 - 11:30) - Representatives from Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA)
• Meeting 2
  • (15:30 - 15:45) Representatives from Walker Recycling Services Ltd
  • (15:45 - 16:30) Representatives from Irish Farm Film Producers Group CLG (IFFPG)
  • (16:30 - 17:30) Officials from the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications

Speaking in advance of the meeting, Cathaoirleach, Jackie Cahill TD, said: “The Committee has a busy day ahead as we resume our discussions, over two meetings, on the removal of the Irish Control Plan for weighing of fishery products after transport (Article 61(1)) and the collection and recycling of Farm Plastics.

In our first meeting, we will meet with the SFPA to discuss the implications for the Irish fishing industry regarding the changes around quayside weighing of fish. The practicality of this process is a huge concern for the industry, issues around the availability of inspectors and weighing equipment quayside need to be discussed and further clarity from the SFPA on what they are doing to resolve these issues going forward. As it stands, it’s not working. We look forward to hearing from the SFPA on this.

The Cathaoirleach added: “And even though, for nearly 40 years, Farmers, Agri-services and groups have been leading the way in relation to dealing with farm plastics in Ireland, leaders in Europe when it comes to silage wrap and pit cover waste recycling – with an 80% recycling level - there is still a lot that can be done and there are always new challenges.

The Committee and I also look forward to hearing from the Department, IFFPG and the Walker Recycling Services to continue our debate on the IFFPG levy and the concerns and challenges around waste management”

The Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine has 14 Members, nine from the Dáil and five from the Seanad.

You can view the meetings in Committee Room 2 and 3 on the Oireachtas website.

More information can be found on the dedicated Committee Webpage. Committee proceedings can also be viewed on the Houses of the Oireachtas Smartphone App, available for Apple and Android devices.