Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this very important motion. As one who lives in a Border area, I am more aware of illegal dumping than anything else. While the activity is not relevant to the Bill, I mention it in passing. I raised in the Dáil the other day the fact that last week illegal dumping of oil waste took place in Monaghan once again. This cost Monaghan County Council €500,000 in 2004 and is potentially lethal.

The waiver system is not available in Monaghan though there is a relief system from which it is extremely difficult to benefit. I pay tribute to McElvaney Waste and Recycling Service which introduced the first weigh-in system in Ireland. The company belongs to my Fine Gael colleague, Councillor Hugh McElvaney. The year before the company introduced the system each customer produced 1.25 tonnes of waste. After one year, that was down to less than 0.75 tonnes, a 40% reduction. Of that reduction, 55% was related to blue bin, or kerb-side collections while some went to home composting. The cost to the consumer was reduced considerably as customers paid only for what waste had to be collected. The county manager in Monaghan introduced a charge for 2004 of €125 per tonne, but competition from landfills in Cavan and Louth forced a reduction to €115 per tonne in 2005. I question the need for a regulator when open competition is so effective.

The waiver system is important. The special hardship scheme has not worked in my county. Only last night a constituent called me and was crying because she had no idea if the scheme would apply to her. She said she lay awake at night worrying about the cost of waste. That is not what we want and it is not characteristic of a fair community. Waste charges should be realistic.

I support the comments of Deputy Hayes regarding teaching about waste in schools. We have the same programme in Monaghan where it is wonderful to see schools bringing ideas home to people and encouraging them to recycle. The rate of increase in the number of bottle banks in County Monaghan, which is the highest in the country, demonstrates how teaching can be of benefit in the context of recycling.

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