Govt drops plans to introduce more plastic bag-type levies

The Government has reportedly abandoned its plans to introduce consumer taxes on chewing gum, fast-food wrappings and ATM receipts despite the success of the 15c plastic bag levy.

Reports this morning said the decision followed intense lobbying by commercial interests like US gum-maker Wrigley, the McDonald’s fast-food chain and the Irish Bankers Federation.

The US Ambassador to Ireland, James Kenny, reportedly lobbied the Government on behalf of the Wrigley Corporation.

The Government had been planning to introduce a consumer tax on all packets of chewing gum to meet the cost of cleaning gum of streets and footpaths.

Similar measures were also being planned to cover the cost of cleaning up discarded fast-food wrappings and bank-machine receipts.

The Minister for the Environment Dick Roche said today that he had decided to shelve the plan to allow companies involved to come up with their own proposals on how to address the litter problems.

This morning’s reports said he would ask gum-makers, fast-food companies and banks to pay multi-million euro levies to help local authorities clean up litter.

The minister said he was particularly interested in receiving an action plan from chewing gum manufacturers and warned that he could still impose the levy if they fail to come up with workable proposals.