Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Government has made it very clear that the neoliberal imperative to maximise economic competitiveness guides all its policies, no matter what the cost to the people. Even any discussion of the minimum wage must be subordinate to meeting the needs of international market ideology, rather than the needs of the low paid in Ireland, as was established here last week.

This morning, the Minister, Deputy Alan Kelly, stated his Department, in accordance with the polluter-pays principle, wants household waste to be charged for by the kilogram. He said this is part of a drive towards environmental protection and customer service. It is difficult to listen to the Minister utter the words "environmental protection" while keeping a straight face. This is the Minister whose Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill had no reference to the word "pollution", let alone the polluter-pays principle. That legislation makes no reference to the principle of climate justice or to any national carbon emission reduction targets whatsoever. Therefore, we can take it for granted that when the Minister mentions the phrase "polluter pays", he means that the majority, not the elite few, will pay. I would love to know what the Department is doing to ensure the biggest polluters in the country are being subjected to the polluter-pays principle.

The truth is that the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government has continuously and consistently demonstrated that it could not care less about the environment, especially when caring might impose a short-term cost on the Exchequer, infringe on the profits of corporations or damage so-called Irish competitiveness.

What steps are being taken to challenge the packaging companies? What about the introduction of universal beer bottle that could be recycled and reused by any brewery in the country? Why do we not ban the excessive use of plastics and cardboard in consumer packaging? We are paying to send rubbish to Norway to be burned? Why do we not go after those who produce excessive amounts of rubbish at source rather than calling the citizen the polluter and individualising the waste problem? Doing so would be in violation of the neoliberal doctrine of the Labour Party and Fine Gael. It would interfere with the long-standing and ongoing transfer of wealth from the poor to the wealthy that this Government is so intent on seeing to the bitter end. The really big businesses in Ireland barely have to pay any tax, let alone face any kind of social or environmental responsibility measures. The polluter-pays principle would have dictated that those who created the toxic debt during the boom would have taken responsibility for it rather than passing private losses on to the public.

I have asked a number of questions in the House on the water issue and no one ever answered them. Irish Water has taken over the supply of water and waste treatment. No one has ever told me who will look after pollution. Who will look after storm water? Who is looking after surface water in Dublin city? There is a combined pipe in the city and Irish Water is going to take control of it. Will it charge the State sector for the use of it? The State sector is still responsible for storm water and surface water. Alternatively, will the State build a new, independent line that it will own? Given many of the workers who currently deal with water in the local authorities will be moved to Irish Water and that some will not be working in the sector anymore, all the people who once worked for the local authorities on storm water and pollution will not be in place. Who will do the work? What will happen is that we will privatise the system. Can the Minister of State, Deputy Paudie Coffey, check for me who will install the new surface water pipework in Dublin city? It will not be done for less than €2 billion. I would love to know who will pay for it. Irish Water will not be paying for it because it has washed its hands of it. Pollution and storm water are unpredictable. Therefore, Irish Water does not want responsibility for them.

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