Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 April 2014
408. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he has conducted an analysis and-or evaluation of the private waste collection sector in terms of cost and service delivery; if his attention has been drawn to any local authority conducting the same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17545/14]
View answerA comprehensive Regulatory Impact Analysis (RIA) on the regulation of the Household Waste Collection Market was published in July 2012 and is available on my Department’s website at http://www.environ.ie/en/Environment/RHLegislation/FileDownLoad,30784,en.pdf.
The RIA provides an analysis of the household waste collection industry in Ireland; the international approach to household waste collection; pricing levels and how pricing structures affect waste generation and recycling ; and the provision of a quality service to the householder.
I published A Resource Opportunity – Waste Management Policy in Ireland also in July 2012, setting out a range of measures which will significantly revise the current regulatory regime to ensure, inter alia:
- that waste collected is managed in accordance with the waste hierarchy;
- that mandated service levels are delivered; and
- that customer charters are put in place by all waste collection providers.
I published a consultation document on the regulation of household waste collection on 28 November 2013 to guide the development of the new regulatory regime to strengthen and improve the regulation of household waste collection. Over 90 submissions were received from organisations across a wide spectrum, including the waste industry, public bodies, public representatives and the public. These submissions are currently being reviewed with a view to developing a revised regulatory regime for household waste collection later this year.
In addition, the policy also contains the commitment that a formal review of the household waste collection market, including a report by the Competition Authority, will be carried out in 2016. In line with a commitment under the Government’s Action Plan for Jobs 2014, the Competition Authority has commenced this process.
