I move amendment No. 3:
In page 4, before section 5, to insert the following new section:
"5.–The Minister shall make a report to the Houses of the Oireachtas within two months of the passing of this Act on the arrangements made for the imposition of relevant charges and the sufficiency of the waiver schemes applicable thereto.".
I listened carefully to what the Minister of State said in respect of this matter on Second Stage. He indicated that part of the reason this legislation was brought before the House involved Dublin Corporation's consideration of a proposal for waste management charges. He also stated that there had been no legal challenge to this. The Bill makes specific reference to legal proceedings which might be brought before 18 April 2000. Why make such a provision if such proceedings have not been initiated?
As already stated, the Minister of State said that Dublin Corporation was considering the proposals and wanted to be sure of where it stood in that regard. He also said that there is a legal requirement under European Union statute, which is based on the tenet that the polluter pays, for a system of charges to be established. It is apparent that the Minister of State is clearing the decks for the introduction of waste management charges.
On Second Stage I made no reference to the Government imposing service charges similar to the old water charges. However, I did state that the Bill will give rise to a similar exercise. It is clear that service charges will be imposed in the form of waste management charges and that the Minister of State is intent on allowing the local authorities do his dirty work by obliging them to impose the charges. The Bill is being pushed through because he wants to ensure that they are in a position to do so. The Minister of State was concerned that local authorities might have encountered difficulties in applying a range of obligations instead of implementing the legislation. That is the impetus behind the Bill.
Amendment No. 3 proposes that "The Minister shall make a report to the Houses of the Oireachtas within two months of the passing of this Act on the arrangements made for the imposition of relevant charges and the sufficiency of the waiver schemes applicable thereto." Previous waiver schemes do not apply in this instance and there is a need for the Minister of State to exercise a degree of leadership by informing us what will happen.
When local authority members throughout the country become aware of the implications of this legislation, all hell will break loose. My understanding of the European position is that we must deal with the problem of waste management. However, the way we tax our citizens in order to pay for waste management is a matter for ourselves to decide. There is no stipulation that a blanket local service charge should be imposed by local authorities. The Minister of State can be sure that the local authorities will not adopt a uniform approach to this matter. He is saying that he intends to pass the buck to the local authorities, allow them to fight among themselves and, if necessary, put them out of business if they refuse to agree a rate of payment.
The Minister of State should give proper direction regarding how waste management will be dealt with. The 1996 legislation provided for a waste management plan to be put in place but it is the responsibility of individual local authorities to develop such plans. I understand that only seven authorities have produced such plans, despite the legal requirement that they should produce them within four years of the passing of the legislation. Given that those four years have elapsed, will the Minister of State explain why that is the case?
Will the Minister of State indicate how the local authorities will impose the relevant charges to which my amendment refers? Will he also indicate how the waiver schemes which will be necessary if the legislation is passed will be implemented? The Minister of State's Department must exercise a degree of leadership. He cannot simply introduce what he perceives to be amending legislation which is designed not merely to enable but to direct local authorities to impose charges without illustrating how the waste management plan will work, indicating the level of resources which will be made available, stating how central Government intends to deal with this matter and explaining how he will deal with the fallout that will result from objections from members of the public and politicians when local authorities are obliged to implement these charges in the autumn.
I am seeking leadership from the Minister of State in respect of this issue and I look forward to his reply.