David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)

I move amendment No. 8:

In page 3, before section 1, to insert the following new section:

"1.—The Minister for Social and Family Affairs shall, within 3 months of the commencement of this Act, lay before each House of the Oireachtas, a report on the introduction of a national waste waiver system for all low-income households administered through the social welfare system.".

This issue was discussed previously. The idea of a national waste waiver for low-income households has been examined by the Ministers for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and Social and Family Affairs as a result of the Combat Poverty Agency's review of waste charges, which was carried out several years ago. While waste collection is controlled and administered through local authorities, I wish to see the introduction of some social welfare voucher system for all low-income households that could be used at national level. A national waste waiver for low-income households such as pensioners, people with disabilities, lone parents, low-income families in particular and those in receipt of social welfare payments has been supported by the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, the Combat Poverty Agency and Age Action Ireland.

I am sure the Minister is aware the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Social and Family Affairs has held hearings on this issue. It found a hotchpotch across the country as all local authorities have different ways of dealing with it. While some local authorities have no waiver system, in others it is quite generous. It changes depending on the budgetary pressures under which they operate. Consequently, many low-income households, such as those on State pensions, lone parents and people in receipt of other social welfare payments are under pressure to pay waste charges. While I do not state the two are related, I have noticed lately a significant increase in fly-tipping, both in my own locality and nationwide. I do not state this is related to the fact that those on low incomes are finding it difficult to pay the charges. Nevertheless, fly-tipping has increased.

Some form of uniform system should be established throughout the State. At present, simply living in one city or local authority area means that one gets support in this regard, while in another one does not. The officials from the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government who appeared before the joint committee asserted that it is up to each local authority to do its own thing in this respect. However, central Government has a role to co-ordinate or at least to lay down some markers in order that all citizens are treated equally. I would be interested in the Minister's views on this area. There are many more interesting amendments to come and I will not delay further on this one.

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