Debate contribution: Disposable Nappies: Collection and Recycling Scheme

Debate contribution by Mr Matthew O'Toole on 27 January 2025.

MLA

Mr Matthew O'Toole

Party at the time

Social Democratic and Labour Party

Date

27 January 2025

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Disposable Nappies: Collection and Recycling Scheme

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4759316

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I should preface my remarks on the motion by saying that it is a very important subject. It is an important subject because it affects parents and people who care for young children and also people who use the other forms of recyclable sanitary or medical products that were listed by the proposer of the motion. I am someone who changes nappies, literally on a daily basis. I deal with nappies in the morning; I deal with them in the evening; and I will deal with more nappies in a couple of months' time because I am expecting my third child. This is genuinely an important subject, and I welcome the fact that there has been a look at it. I also welcome Nicola Watson's research. There are legitimate questions, and the points are well made. There is a bit of a secular or theological debate about the references to this in the waste strategy. It is entirely legitimate that we move towards trying to increase the recycling of these products, particularly when they are recyclable material. Many of the people who are using these products would like to see them recycled more. I have no problem with that, but I want to make a couple of broader points. Having said that the subject is legitimate and important — I am sure that the Minister will update us on his waste strategy and how these ideas and concepts can feed into that — and, as I have said, as someone who changes nappies on a many-times-daily basis and cares a lot about recycling, I would like to be able to recycle those products, were that a possibility. However, I must point out, as the leader of the Opposition in the Northern Ireland Assembly, that it is about 4.47 pm on a sitting day, in the midst of a health service crisis and a range of other things, when the Executive are less than 50% — less than halfway — through their legislative programme for last year. If Joe Bloggs or the average punter who sent us here was to tune into this debate, in the middle of a Monday, to find out what we are debating, they would see that it is an important issue, but a non-binding motion on nappy collection and recycling. I am not trying to trivialise it, but —.

I will make a couple of points, then I will give way. This institution, which, obviously, has not sat all of the time, was created by an international treaty after a conflict. We were given significant powers, and although we do not always take them seriously, those powers included the powers to levy taxes, which, effectively, means that people do not have a choice in what taxes they pay to us.

I am —.

I am happy to finish my point and get back to the motion, but my point is germane to its subject, because we should be implementing things rather than simply debating private Members' motions. I do not dismiss the legitimacy of the issue at all, but let me say this: we can levy taxation, and we can imprison people by creating criminal offences. In the next few weeks, we will authorise tens of billions of pounds of spending. People expect us to take those responsibilities seriously.

Thank you very much. People will be relieved to hear that I do not intend to use all of it, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. The content of what we debate here, like the contents of the objects that we are talking about, is a legitimate subject for debate. Private Members' motions are entirely legitimate, but we have had a lot of them. We are less than 50% of the way through our legislative programme. If we are to debate how to improve our performance against recycling targets specifically in relation to nappies, I would like to hear from the Minister about the specific policies that he will enact. I am sure that he will be able to enlighten us. At a certain point, however, we have to take our jobs seriously and communicate to the public that, although we talk about a circular economy, we are not here simply to have circular debates.

I am glad that I gave way, because I do not accept that. Our job as the official Opposition is to hold the Executive to account. Some Members may laugh, but their party and other parties in the Chamber have power. We are not elected simply to come here and debate like a debating society. We are elected and people take power and ministerial office to do things for people, to pass legislation, to spend money and to give people concrete plans, not simply debate. Let us take our jobs seriously. As legitimate as the issue in the motion is, we should do better in communicating to the members of the public who elect us what we are doing for them.

827 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 11:51 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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