News
Government latte levy delay is fuelling litter crisis
The founders of the Killarney Coffee Cup Project and the environmental group VOICE have issued a warning that government inaction is undermining local efforts to reduce waste.
Despite Killarney leading the way as Ireland’s first coffee cup-free town, the group says the project is now on "precarious footing" because a promised national levy on disposable cups has failed to materialise.
The "latte levy" was included in the Circular Economy Act 2022, but a start date has yet to be confirmed. Advocates argue that without this charge at the point of sale, there is no financial incentive for customers to switch to reusables, leaving local independent businesses to carry the burden alone.
The call for action follows the latest IBAL (Irish Business Against Litter) report, which found that disposable coffee cups remain a major litter problem, appearing in one-fifth of all surveyed sites across Ireland.
In contrast, the report noted that plastic bottles and cans have become 60% less common since the Deposit Return Scheme was introduced last year, proving that state-led financial measures are effective.
“We need Government to act, so that we can level the playing field. Without a levy, at the point of sale, customers are not incentivised to choose reusable alternatives, businesses aren't motivated to offer reusable alternatives, and large coffee chains continue with their business models that depend on disposables.” said the founders of the Killarney Coffee Cup Project. "The loss of political will is deeply worrying."
Ireland currently uses over 200 million single-use cups every year.
VOICE and local organisers point to the success of the plastic bag levy as a model, noting that it changed public behaviour almost overnight.
They argue that funds from a cup levy could be ringfenced to pay for national infrastructure, such as specialized street bins and cleaning hubs for reusable cups.
Tad Kirakowski, CEO of VOICE, urged the government to honour its commitment, stating that continued delays send the wrong signal and lock the country into unnecessary waste.
Pre-planning underway for starter homes
Councillor Maura Healy-Rae raised the issue of affordable housing at Wednesday’s meeting of the Killarney Municipal District.
She submitted a motion asking officials: “To ask Kerry County Council to give an update on providing affordable housing and sites within Killarney MD?”
In response, local authority officials revealed that three separate submissions for Affordable Homes, now officially categorised as Starter Home, were received in the Killarney district following an open call for expressions of interest issued in December 2025.
Council management confirmed that active discussions are taking place with the respective developers involved,
A council official said: “Discussions have been ongoing with the relevant developers in relation to these three proposals, all of which are currently at pre-planning stage. Relevant planning consents will need to be in place before the Council will be in a position to make a submission to the Department for access to the Affordable Housing Fund in respect of these developments.”
Alongside the ongoing development discussions, the local authority outlined administrative preparations currently being undertaken to ensure the scheme can be rolled out efficiently once statutory planning approvals are granted.
Officials noted that work is progressing on wider operational aspects of the Starter Home Scheme in readiness for public advertising, following a formal briefing delivered to commercial lending institutions in July and the engagement of a third-party software provider to construct the online application portal.
Addressing the provision of future housing land, Kerry County Council added that developer proposals submitted under forthcoming open calls for turnkey developments will undergo evaluation via the Croí Cónaithe Serviced Sites: Ready to Build Scheme.
Investigation probing early morning car fire
An investigation is under way following an early morning blaze that destroyed an electric vehicle in Killarney over the weekend.
Emergency services were alerted when a Volkswagen ID Buzz caught fire in the Hillview area of Woodlawn during the early hours of Sunday morning.
Crews from the Killarney Fire and Rescue Service were dispatched to the scene after receiving the emergency call at approximately 4am.
Local eyewitnesses reporting to the Killarney Advertiser described hearing a series of small explosions sounding like gunfire, with large plumes of smoke and flames visible from across the town.
No injuries have been reported, and emergency services have launched an inquiry to determine the cause of the fire.
Pre-planning underway for starter homes
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