Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)

We are debating the principle that the polluter pays. We all accept this principle, but there is such a range of operators and charges throughout the country that there is a great variation in the existence and type of waiver system. The key concern is that the polluter-pays principle fails to take into account the ability to pay the charge with resulting difficulties for low-income households. This has been especially true in recent years as charges have increased dramatically.

There are currently two methods to reduce refuse charges. These are tax relief provided by the State and waivers or partial waivers provided by local authorities. The waivers depend on each local authority as no national guidelines have been set out by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. An example of this farce exists in my constituency at Baylough on the Roscommon-Westmeath border. As the white line down the middle of the road through the village is the county boundary, older people or those on the minimum wage on the right hand side are entitled to a waiver while those on the left are not. There is no assistance of any kind for refuse charges for those on the left. On the left hand side of the road, the charge for refuse collection by a private contractor is approximately €100 per annum more expensive than on the right hand side where the waiver system is already in place.

There is no waiver scheme in place in my county because the collection of refuse was privatised in the late 1980s or early 1990s. The current charge for refuse collection is approximately €368. This flat-rate charge is one of the highest in the country and does not take into consideration people who recycle their refuse. Private contractors have approached Roscommon and Galway County Councils on a number of occasions to discuss the introduction of a waiver, but no assistance has been forthcoming. The local authority in Roscommon claims it does not have available to it the resources to fund a waiver. The authority has focused on the area of hardship and contends the matter should be addressed by the Department of Social and Family Affairs. When one contacts that Department or the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, the buck is passed back to local authorities. The Minister of State has done that again this evening. I note that last year in Sligo, the manager of the borough council stated that it was illegal to introduce a waiver scheme. There appears to be a great deal of ambiguity on the matter.

While the State makes support available through tax relief, it is only beneficial to those in employment who pay income tax. Those who rely solely on social welfare payments cannot benefit. While those who have an income receive a 20% discount, those who cannot afford the charge, such as pensioners, get nothing. In other words, the most vulnerable in society receive no assistance from the Government. People in low-paid employment may not be entitled to tax relief due to their low level of income. We must put in place a similar system to the one which exists to provide mortgage relief and VHI cover whereby tax relief is applied at source. Such a system would also benefit the self-employed who must currently wait for up to two years to obtain the relief.

We must put in place a sensible national waiver scheme and establish a decent level of recycling facilities. Facilities to recycle are not widely available, especially for people in isolated rural communities.

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