Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)

I will bring the Deputy's comments to the attention of the Minister, Deputy Hogan. The programme for Government includes a commitment to introduce competitive tendering for household waste collection whereby service providers will bid to provide waste collection services in a given area for a given period of time and to a guaranteed level of service. The approach to the future regulation of the household waste collection market will be carefully considered by the Minister, Deputy Hogan, and his Government colleagues. It will take account of the full range of economic, environmental and other relevant issues. It will also take account of the many perspectives offered by consultants. I emphasise that in considering the regulation of household waste collection, the Minister, Deputy Hogan, will be mindful of a set of factors, including economic and environmental issues, the need for realistic and workable policy options and, critically, the availability and desirability or otherwise of various options.

These issues are not without a degree of complexity. It is not a simple matter of comparing costs. Household waste collection services are of critical importance. Wider issues of market stability and industry sustainability must be considered. The programme for Government contains a commitment to develop a coherent national waste policy that adheres to the waste hierarchy. The policy will aim to minimise waste disposal in landfill and maximise recovery. The Minister, Deputy Hogan, is prioritising this commitment and is anxious to provide early regulatory certainty. He expects to be in a position to submit final proposals on national waste policy, including the regulation of the market, in the coming weeks. The new policy will not be driven by any particular project, technology or interest group - it will be driven by what the Government judges to be in the best interests of the country.

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