Govt claims 92% fall in plastic bag usage

Irish shoppers are using one billion less plastic bags this year than they were last March, according to figures released by the Government.

The Department of the Environment said the usage of plastic bags has fallen by 92% since the introduction of a 15c tax on the bags last March.

Fianna Fail's Sean Power, the chairman of the Oireachtas environmental committee, said he would like to see the tax extended to other areas like fast-food packaging.