Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Many people are only just waking up to the reality that the Taoiseach is back in office despite the result of the general election. This latest debacle over bin charges has been a wake-up call for many. It is also a very stark demonstration of the shallowness of the so-called new politics. The reality is that many households cannot afford these bin charges. There is nothing new, politically or otherwise, about bin companies agreeing that they will go ahead with these charges in July 2017 instead of July 2016.

There is nothing new about the leader of Fianna Fáil opting out of his partnership role to lament the bin charges fiasco even though he has yet to support measures which could annul the statutory instrument that allows these price hikes. It is nothing but the same old story.

Under the Taoiseach's watch, the then Minister, Deputy Kelly, introduced a statutory instrument which allowed for households to be fleeced by some unscrupulous waste disposal companies. At that time, the Government maintained that the new charging regime would mean that 90% of households would pay less to have their bins collected. It now turns out that, in reality, 90% of families and households will pay substantially more. The companies have agreed to put that off for one year. The Taoiseach says it is to give people more time to think about their options. That is not good enough. Citizens already struggling with the cost of living crises in respect of mortgages, rents, child care, water charges, property tax and car insurance are being hit once again and the Taoiseach advises them that he is giving them a year to think about this. It is yet another increase on top of all the other taxes, costs and charges he has inflicted on ordinary citizens in recent years. It is very clear that this waste management strategy, if it can be called that, will also impact on small businesses and the farming community and there is the real prospect of more illegal dumping across the State.

It is very simple. The regulations - part of Deputy Kelly's glorious legacy - were introduced by the stroke of a ministerial pen and they can be removed today by the stroke of a ministerial pen if that is what the Taoiseach wants. Instead of pushing this issue down the road to diffuse a potential political storm, I ask the Taoiseach to make a commitment that new regulations or legislation to deal with this debacle will be introduced by his Government with the assistance of Fianna Fáil this week.

See this speech in context