Mr. Richy Carrothers:

On Deputy Bruton's question, the report we keep referencing highlighted the degree to which the Irish market is unique and inefficient in enabling a competitive market. It concludes that the waste correlation is a natural monopoly. I think no one would disagree with that. Interesting questions were asked by the Deputy about the IPA report and I think they are fair questions. The report looked at the remunicipalisation of waste in Dublin, for instance, against international comparators. It found that four waste collection companies account for almost three quarters of the waste in the Dublin market. When that is put in the context of the international market I spoke about, of the five international comparator cities surveyed in the report, Dublin was the only city with a fully privatised system. All others included a strong element of public involvement through the direct collection of waste by publicly owned companies, with publicly owned management and serviced through tenders for kerbside waste. It is not legally prohibitive, as my colleague from SIPTU said. We believe there is flexibility but it will require legislative changes and political will to give the people the services they deserve. This will drive up environmental and labour standards. Earlier, Mr. Kane mentioned the win-win-win scenario, involving the State, the environment and workers. We see no reason for this unregulated cartel that continues to exist in our capital city and around the country.