Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I wanted to comment on a couple of issues. In the statement from CCMA we heard about the local government obligations. I note that it is a requirement to collect or arrange for the collection of household waste. There is still that multiple option provided for in the legislation from 1996. Another obligation, which does not really get mentioned but which is important in this context, is the obligation in respect of public duty under the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021. That is the core requirement. Sometimes we get caught in the waste management piece and there is talk about the circular economy and there are new measures coming. However, if we think of the ultimate objective under the climate Act, something to be thought about is how we can maximise the "reduce, reuse, recycle" portion and indeed anything in relation to emissions. What is the most effective way to do that?

There are a few pieces here where instead of thinking of it in terms of a service to households, we need to be thinking about our collective goal, nationally and at local level, to maximise the amount of materials being recycled as well as reducing them. I would like to hear comments on this. It strikes me that there are points at which a household approach might not be the best one. We looked at this in terms of city centres and terraced houses, for example.

Having a collective or shared collection point for a number of households and houses does not allow for household charging in the same way. However, in parts of the city centre where normal kerbside mechanisms are not really very well suited, we could be looking at a different form of collection to ensure every household really can participate, including those that do not have the space for three bins. That goes back to another point that was made by the waste management association. There was discussion of a voucher scheme. Effectively this seemed to be saying that, if we are relying on a private market, there are people who find it difficult to afford those companies' services. Those services are not commercially viable for some households and some people. A voucher could be seen as a hand-out to the industry. Perhaps that is an area where we should be looking at a different form of collection. Perhaps that is an area where different forms of public services, whether publicly procured or publicly delivered, could be looked at. I would be interested in that. A very important point----