Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

What is the intent in publishing the findings of the price monitoring group? I ask that on the basis that on my road we only have one collector, Panda. There is not a choice. Even if there was, it does not seem that it would make any sense to have two bin lorries going down the one street due to the inefficiencies involved. What is the point of monitoring? What powers has the Department if an operator is out of line or seen to be gouging the price from the consumer?

What monitoring, if any, does the Department conduct of the wholesale price in the market for incineration, landfill and-or recycling? Does the Department look at some of those costs which, I presume, are the main variables in what would determine the consumer price? It is interesting they referred to the current difficulty with the Chinese decision not to accept certain grades of recyclable plastic. Has the Department any figures on its price implications for the recycling market? Indeed, I understand that in the paper market there is for whatever reason almost no price for paper recycling so that it is a cost rather than a revenue stream for any company. Does the Department conduct any research or analysis on those elements in the market or does it have the latest figures for the incineration cost, the landfill cost and the recycling cost or revenue to give us a sense of whether those prices are having an effect on where waste is going?