Waste Disposal Charges

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 5 July 2016

Tuesday, 5 July 2016

Questions (247)

Clare Daly

Question:

247. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if a company (details supplied) is in breach of consumer protection legislation and-or the customer charter for household waste collection by automatically opting customers into its pay-by-weight system unless the customer contacts the company themselves by 1 August 2016 to state that they wish to opt out and avail of the 12-month price freeze announced by Government; if the company gave customers sufficient information regarding their options; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19447/16]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government

I have stated publicly that I am unhappy with the arrangement whereby a waste collector would require existing customers to move automatically to pay by weight as opposed to being left on their current plan and given the choice to ‘opt-in’ to pay by weight. I do not believe that this approach is consistent with the spirit of the agreement that I reached with the industry last month.

I have also been clear that the operation of the price freeze by the industry will be closely monitored, indicating that, if there was evidence of the agreement being breached, I would look at whether further legislative measures were necessary to enforce it. Furthermore, the compliance of the industry and its effectiveness in co-operating and implementing these new arrangements are likely to feature within the overall review of the functioning of this waste collection industry.

I have mandated officials from my Department to meet representatives of the waste industry early this week, at which a range of issues concerning the consistent implementation of the agreement will be discussed.