Tony Gregory
Ceist:196 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for the Environment Heritage and Local Government the response he received from Dublin City Council concerning his communication regarding pay by weight for domestic refuse. [23707/03]
Adjournment Debate. - Waste Management.
The Governments waste management policy statements Changing Our Ways and Preventing and Recycling Waste; Delivering Change make it clear that as a matter of equity, and to directly incentivise waste prevention and recycling, the level of waste charges imposed on households and business, should desirably be based on usage. In addition, Government policy is based on ensuring that waste charges move towards recovering the full costs of collection, treatment and disposal.
In keeping with Government policy on waste charging, it is expected that all local authorities will move towards introducing weight/volume related charging to the fullest extent possible within the three-year target period up to 2005. Already, "tag a bag/bin" systems are in place in some local authorities and progress is being made on weight-related systems in a number of areas. In parallel, very significant progress has been made in the roll-out of segregated collection services for recyclable waste with approximately one third of all households in the State now having access to a service of this nature. I expect that further progress will be made in expanding the provision of such services over the coming months.
In the context of ensuring that the 2005 objective in relation to weight/volume-based charging is achieved, my Department has requested a report from each local authority concerning the extent to which such services are already in place and the proposals for their provision within the timeframe envisaged. Where appropriate, the relevant local authorities have been asked to liaise with the private waste collectors in their areas in order to obtain the necessary information.
Dublin City Council has responded to my Department's request for information, outlining details of the different levels of charges currently applied by the council which vary in relation to the size of bin chosen and, in certain circumstances, the type of dwelling. While the response also indicates that consideration is being given to the introduction of a third smaller bin and that the council is looking at the most effective and equitable manner of dealing with waste collection for apartments, it does not address the general issue of use-based charges which, I understand from contacts between my Department and the council, is the subject of ongoing consideration.
I will be reviewing the council's response along with those of the other local authorities once the full range of responses has been received. I will also be taking into account the findings of research into the effects of weight-based charging in Cork currently being conducted by the ESRI.