Following a heated debate in the Seanad on Wednesday, where the Green Party’s Micro-Plastic and Micro-Bead Pollution Prevention Bill 2016 was defeated by 24 votes to 18, Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government with responsibility for the Marine, Simon Coveney, committed to beginning the notification process with the European Commission ‘within days’ to introduce a ban on microbeads as part of wider ranging marine protection legislation in the near future.
Minister Coveney admitted during the debate that Senator Grace O’Sullivan had put the issue on the agenda, and it was something he didn’t know much about before the debate this week.
Speaking today, Senator Grace O’Sullivan said that, although disappointed that her bill had been defeated, she was confident that the Seanad debate had added an urgency to address the issue that had previously been lacking.
“We may have lost the battle with our bill, but it was clear in my discussions with Simon Coveney that we're winning the war on tackling plastic marine litter as the Minister confirmed he will send a notification to the European Commission and begin the process of getting rid of these wasteful and polluting products within days. I'm determined now to work with the government and any other party that will work to improve the health of our marine environment and protect the livelihoods involved.
“Wednesday was also a good day for the Seanad, and the very principle of an upper house to consider and improve public legislation. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael may have succeeded in killing this bill, but all the progressive voices in the Seanad were united in their condemnation of their cynical last minute collaboration, offering a vision of a more mature, developed and constructive way forward for governance in the future.”
Minister Simon Coveney committed to beginning the process during the Seanad debate on Wednesday, and further committed on social media yesterday.
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