Dublin city centre traders have strongly criticised plans for an industry-backed gum litter taskforce to promote the "responsible disposal" of chewing gum. The public awareness campaign will be launched today by Minister for the Environment Dick Roche.
In a letter sent last month to the head of the new taskforce,Paul Kelly (of Ibec-affiliated group Food and Drinks Industry Ireland), the Dublin City Business Association (DCBA) claims efforts manufacturers and sellers of gum to "pass the blame" to consumers are "disingenuous and an affront to civic society".
Tom Coffey of the DCBA says it will have little effect on the "huge costs for retailers" of removing chewing gum from their carpets, stairs and walkways. Instead, he calls on the taskforce to issue the DCBA with a cheque for €500,000 per year for "at least" the next three years. This would allow it to employ a machine and local residents to remove chewing gum "if you decline or fail to do so", he said.
Mr Coffey also claims to have previously received correspondence from a member of the Irish Film Board expressing concern about the impact of litter, including chewing gum, on potential investment in Dublin by film producers from the USA and UK.
The association, which represents traders employing more than 25,000 people in the city centre, also reiterates its support for a chewing-gum tax.
"The quality of our streets has been seriously undermined by chewing gum, which is a manufactured pollutant devoid of any benefit to human health," Mr Coffey states. "The root cause of this problem is those who manufacture and market this pollutant.Attempts . . . to pass the blame to consumers is disingenuous and an affront to civic society."
Despite the recommendations of a report commissioned by his department in 2002, Mr Roche decided not to proceed with a chewing-gum tax. Instead, he reached agreement with chewing-gum manufacturers on an annual contribution of more than €2 million from the industry, to be invested in education, research and litter-prevention.
At the time, he claimed a tax was less likely to achieve the aim of reducing chewing-gum litter.
Earlier this year, Mr Roche confirmed outgoing US ambassador James Kenny had spoken to him twice on behalf of leading US chewing-gum manufacturer, Wrigley, to lobby against the introduction of a tax on chewing gum. However, he denied this was "inappropriate", as Irish ambassadors would similarly lobby for Irish companies' interests elsewhere.
Mr Kelly was unavailable to comment on Mr Coffey's letter in advance of today's launch. But a spokeswoman for the taskforce said its establishment was a "central element" of the agreement on litter which had been negotiated with Mr Roche.