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Waste Management

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 March 2012

Thursday, 8 March 2012

Ceisteanna (3)

Joan Collins

Ceist:

3Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government his views that the policy of charging for local domestic waste collection services (details supplied) and the resulting privatisation of such services has been a failure, has impacted negatively on the environment and has the potential to create a serious public health hazard and that essential public services should be centrally funded by a progressive tax system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13413/12]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí ó Béal (9 píosaí cainte)

The charges applied by waste management companies are a matter between those companies and their customers, subject to compliance with all applicable environmental and other relevant legislation, particularly the conditions attached to each waste collector's collection permit issued by the relevant local authority under the Waste Management (Collection Permit) Regulations 2007, as amended. Waste collection in individual local authority areas may also be subject to local by-laws.

The programme for Government contains a commitment to introduce competitive tendering for household waste collection, under which service providers would bid to provide waste collection services in a given area, for a given period of time and to a guaranteed level of service.

A public consultation designed to inform the policy development process concluded in September 2011. A large number of responses were received from a broad spectrum of interests. A consensus is not apparent and, on almost all of the relevant issues, a considerable breadth of opinion was expressed. All of the responses received, in addition to a summary document, are available on the Department's website.

I expect to be in a position to submit final proposals on household waste collection to the Government by Easter this year. All policy proposals will be carefully considered by the Government and will take account of the full range of issues and perspectives. Matters including pricing structures, waivers for low income households, uncollected waste and the regulatory regime in respect of inspection and enforcement will all be considered in this context. My policy objective is to put in place a system of regulation of household waste collection that provides the optimal mix of economic, environmental and social outcomes.

I thank the Minister. We are speaking about the present. There is mayhem in our communities, with four or five different private companies going down the same street on different days. So much for the polluter paying or trying to protect the environment, because this totally turns that on its head. Greyhound, which serves the Dublin City Council and South Dublin County Council areas, charges those in the Dublin City Council area who previously had waivers €100. However, those who will lose their wavers on 31 March in the South Dublin County Council area will be charged only €40. There are huge inequalities and discrepancies in local authority areas.

Does the Minister think the local authorities could have administered a proper polluter pays system without going to the private market? What we have now is a joke. People are very angry about the service they receive from these private companies. Consider Greyhound's record and how it got the tender in the first place. Dublin City Council paid Ernst and Young €250,000 to put out the tender. The question must be raised as to whether the Minister thinks the country would be better served by public waste collection rather than the mayhem of private collection which we have at present. Perhaps the Minister will reply in more detail.

I do not intend to nationalise the household waste collection system.

I think the Minister should.

That is Deputy Collins's opinion. I am telling her what I am doing. I do not intend to make that recommendation to the Government.

People have several opportunities to have their waste collected. Some people choose not to pay or not to have it collected. Such people are open to challenge under the waste collection legislation. Fewer than 18,000 people have refused to sign up to having their waste collected in the Dublin City Council area. There have always been 10,000 or 12,000 people who have refused to pay for anything. These are the people who brought the viability of Dublin City Council's scheme into question. It is not only Greyhound which can collect waste. Other service providers can also do so and there is a good civic amenity recycling centre not far from many of the residents affected by Greyhound's collection service.

I do not subscribe to Deputy Collins's view that we should nationalise the household waste collection system. It is a considerable cost to local authorities. There is an incentive for many people if they have difficulty with paying to recycle and use an alternative means of disposing of their waste.

It is wrong to say 12,000 or 18,000 households caused the privatisation of services in the Dublin City Council area. I do not accept this and I do not think the majority of people would accept it. The previous Government made a conscious decision, and supported by the present Government-----

We are running out of time. Does the Deputy have a question?

-----to privatise services. Does the Minister think the privatisation system in place at present does not do the service well and that it would be better to nationalise the bin service?

As I stated, I do not subscribe to the view that we must have a nationalised household waste collection service. People have many choices with regard to recycling and civic amenity centres, and they also have a choice with regard to who will collect their waste. I agree with the Deputy that it is not acceptable to have five different collectors going into one housing estate. We are seeing what we can do to regularise this. I wholeheartedly subscribe to the view that it does nothing good for the environment. However, we must have in place a system that will not cost an enormous amount of money to the customer or to local authorities. We are heading down the road of people paying more for their services to ensure we will not be paying any more income tax. This is the choice people will have to make. Under the law people are required to dispose of their waste. They have a series of options and I advise them to take one.

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