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AN ANTI-LITTER LOBBY has welcomed proposals to impose a 50c anti-litter tax on packets of chewing gum – after minister Phil Hogan said he had not ruled out the prospect.
Hogan told a new awareness campaign yesterday that he had not completely dismissed the idea of bringing in a tax on gum, in order to help fund the difficult operation of removing it from pavements and other areas.
The minister was speaking at the launch of an anti-littering awareness campaign by the Gum Litter Taskforce, at which it was revealed that the amount of chewing gum litter had fallen by 57 per cent in the last four years.
The taskforce is an industry body funded by Wrigley and Cadbury Kraft, who are putting €9.6 million into the anti-litter campaign over the next three years.
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Irish Business Against Litter said it welcomed the idea of a tax on gum, but warned that the tax needed to be relatively severe in order to make a “meaningful contribution” to the cost of removing gum.
“Our research shows strong support for such a tax, not least among local authorities,” said IBAL chairman Tom Cavanagh.
“In Killarney, €300,000 was spent on new pavements two years ago. These are already covered from end to end by gum, and frustrated residents and business owners are calling for an outright ban on the product.”
The industry itself has reportedly argued that awareness campaigns such as the ones operated in the last few years are more effective at countering gum littering than putting a straightforward tax on the product.
IBAL has said it may be more sensible to allow biodegradable gum to be exempt from VAT, as this could encourage manufacturers to sell it on a larger scale.
A town councillor in Trim has previously argued the case for the town to become the first in Ireland to outlaw the sale of gum, saying the model of Singapore – where gum has been banned since 1994 – should be followed in Ireland.
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Completely agree! Never mind the fact that at least you know what you’re getting is the real deal, it’s much healthier and tastes a hell of a lot better… Makes the extra money spent worth it!
Will this horse meat issue ever go away? It’s not that much of a big deal. Not to ruin any appetites but could you imagine the amount of little insects and other creatures that get minced in with the meat supply that we never know about.
When we were starting our then 18 month on meat (2years ago) my wife decided to get supermarket burgers just in case he did not like them – well to tell you the truth he pretty much threw the burger back at her. I said why not try butcher meat it will taste alot better and healthier for the child. She got a 1/4 pounder and he ate 2/3 of it. Hence even an 18 month old knew the taste of quality !!
Interesting article. If I’m reading those stats correctly, does this indicate that ordinary local butchers have not experienced a bounce in trade? And if not, I wonder why?
In other news, the number of horses commuting on the Dart has risen by over 800% in the past week. Community watch locals report a growing number of incidences involving horses some described as having ‘brazen attitudes’ and ‘brass balls’ towards concerned travellers waiting on the platforms for their respective trains. In a more striking example of the intimidation by the footloose horses, a 6-pack box of Silverdale frozen burgers was kicked at an elderly man’s head causing the man to curse loudly at the ebullient edible equine. The man was later taken for questioning. A file has been sent to the office of the DPP and a request for legal aid has been sought.
Great the media is loving this story and in doing so are systematically destroying one of Irelands core industries. Dont get me wrong I am totally for a free press but some of the sensationalism printed about this scandle (storm in a teacup) in relation to its connection with Ireland has been pure speculation and even when facts where established the Irish connection was still bigged up. Journal well done on being responsible and accurate if only other media would follow your example.
If anyone is destroying one of Ireland’s core industries it is those who sold contaminated meat, the officials who refuse to admit that traceability “from farm to fork” is a lie, and the businessmen who refuse to speak publicly about what happened in their factories.
Burying your head in the sand and “pulling on the green jersey” as you advocate will never work.
Government to make cabin homes in back gardens exempt from planning
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9 hrs ago
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The Morning Lead
Government to make cabin homes in back gardens exempt from planning
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