Government 'should consider' €2 levy on online purchases of small parcels to counter fast fashion

Recent data from the Environmental Protection Agency estimates that per capita consumption of new textiles in Ireland is 53kg per year, more than twice the European average of 26kg reported by the European Environment Agency

Junior enterprise minister Alan Dillon said some of the textiles being purchased in Ireland could be ending up in Africa and that consumer behaviour should change. File photo: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The Government "should consider" a €2 EU levy on small packages of online purchases, a junior minister has said.

EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic has proposed a €2 handling fee on packages sent directly to peoples' homes, with a 50 cent tax on items sent to warehouses. Junior enterprise minister Alan Dillon said such a move should be considered for its potential economic impacts.