Joe Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)

As pointed out by other speakers, there is a great need for a national waiver scheme. There is no consistency in the effort. Before I come to my point, I wish to say two things. If one looks in the Gallery, one sees that there is no one from the press to report what is happening in this House. That is the issue, and that is why the Labour Party is the authentic voice of the people. I hope that is conveyed.

I was a member of a local authority for many years. The Minister should note that the Government gave local authorities a rate support grant. It changed it in later years to a "local government bond". That is only about 40% of what the Government should be giving the councils. The local manager of Cork County Council said he did not have the finances to give people the waivers it is required to grant because the Government has withheld from the local authority the funding it committed itself to provide in the first instance. For the disposal of refuse to be carried out in an equitable fashion and in line with the "polluter pays" principle, local authorities must move towards a waiver system without a standing charge. That has become a big issue in my area, and I am quite sure it is the same in many other areas.

People bought their tags when they could afford to buy them, but now they must pay an overhead charge as well as what they pay under the pay by weight system. That is not on, and that is why I am quite sure this motion will have the support of other parties in the House. Since the inception of the pay by weight system in County Cork in 2004, Cork County Council has insisted on a standing charge as well as one for every kilogram of waste disposed of. That is contrary to the polluter pays principle, as it penalises the householder who endeavours to recycle. The person recycling pays a standing charge as well as the person who does not do so, and the effect is that the former subsidises the latter.

The most equitable system is one based on weight. That allows the householder to be charged only for what is being disposed of. It facilitates smaller households, especially those consisting of pensioners who do not qualify for waivers. If local authorities were serious about the polluter pays principle, the instigation of a refuse charge based only on weight would encourage each individual to recycle more without penalising those who up to now have endeavoured to recycle most of their waste.

In the absence of any clear policy in town councils on recycling, the introduction of kerbside collection of dry recyclables must be considered. Local authorities, to keep landfill costs down, must endeavour to give householders the opportunity to recycle waste. Such a policy would be suitable for elderly people in particular who do not have the means to drive to a civic amenity or bring site. This has been mentioned many times by different speakers. It was Fianna Fáil which pressed the button and brought in the system now being imposed on people. It brought in the service charges with which we now have to contend. The way in which Fianna Fáil and Progressive Democrats Deputies decided in 2003 to transfer responsibility for setting waste charges from elected councillors to local authority managers has led to a significant increase in charges, resulting in financial difficulties for pensioners and families on low incomes. That must be changed, and the only way to do so is to adopt this motion and introduce a proper system giving consideration to those people who depend on an equitable system for the disposal of waste.

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