Minister for the Environment Dick Roche has warned the chewing-gum industry that he will consider imposing an anti-litter levy on chewing gum within a short time unless the industry produces its own plan to fund the cleaning of it off the streets.
Mr Roche confirmed yesterday that he has decided not to impose a levy at this stage, or to tax bank machine receipts and fast-food wrappings. He was speaking at the end of a public consultation process which began in September 2004 after a consultancy report recommended such levies.
The report recommended a 10 per cent levy - about 5 cent per pack - on chewing gum. Mr Roche decided not to go ahead with the levies after receiving submissions from the industries concerned, including lobbying from the US ambassador, the Wrigley Corporation, the Irish Bankers' Federation and the McDonalds fast-food chain.
"While the consultancy report had recommended that a mandatory levy should be applied on chewing gum, with the proceeds generated being used to tackle the litter problems caused by that product, I have decided - following the case made by the chewing-gum industry during the public consultation process - to give that sector an opportunity to propose a comprehensive action plan to address the problems caused by that product," Mr Roche said yesterday.
He said he would now seek to negotiate agreements with chewing-gum makers, banks and fast-food outlets.
"This will give these sectors - in effect, the producers of the items concerned which end up as litter - an opportunity to propose positive and meaningful measures to minimise the impact of the items they produce in causing nuisance litter."
He said he would also seek a commitment to the phasing out of polystyrene in fast-food packaging in favour of biodegradable materials, as part of any negotiated agreement with the fast-food sector.
Mr Roche added: "While citizens have a civic responsibility not to cause litter, the producers of problematic litter items also have a responsibility and need to be more proactive in minimising the litter pollution caused by the items they produce.
"It is only through intensive anti-litter activities and concerted co-ordinated action that we will be able to successfully address the litter problem in Ireland."
If chewing-gum makers failed to put forward a plan involving enough money to deal with the litter problem they caused, the introduction of a levy would be back on the agenda, he said.
"The cleaning up of chewing gum is both problematical and expensive, not helped by the adhesive nature of the product, and it is something that must be addressed."
Local authorities spent some €70 million on litter management and street cleaning in 2003. Just €2.74 million was offset by litter fines, with the balance funded from local authority resources.
Fine Gael's environment spokesman Fergus O'Dowd warned last night that even though no levies are being introduced, chewing-gum makers may simply increase their prices anyway to pay for the contribution they are to make to cleaning the product off the streets.
He also called on chewing-gum makers to invest in research and development work to produce a solvent that would make it easier to remove from the streets.
He said he doubted whether the money raised from the companies would be enough to pay for the cleaning. "The cost of cleaning Grafton Street, Henry Street and O'Connell Street alone last year cost Dublin City Council a staggering €130,000."