Plastic bag tax to hit Ireland

Wednesday, 01 February 2012 10:50

Written by Editor

People in Northern Ireland will have to pay a whopping 5p for a new carrier bag from next year rising to 10p in 2014 for a more durable bag. Stormont Environment Minister Alex Attwood said that the 5p rate was just the first step to getting shoppers to bring their own bags with them adding that: “There is no doubt that carrier bags are a scourge on the environment."

The SDLP Minister said that there is evidence from other countries that levy the tax to show that it greatly reduces the number of bags being used and it is a simple and effective means to bring about significant environmental improvement.

Wales was the first UK country to bring in the tax, then the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

Mr Attwood said he was setting the 5p rate in the first year to allow customers time to adjust to the concept. "There is no doubt that carrier bags are a scourge on the environment," said the SDLP minister. "Evidence from other countries demonstrates that a bag levy is a simple and effective means to reduce substantially the negative environmental impact of carrier bag consumption. A proposed 10 pence levy on single use carrier bags and lower-cost reusable carrier bags can bring about significant environmental improvement.”