Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Adams for his comment. I listened to his deputy leader saying that anything that would promote the better distribution and management of waste should be supported. Everybody accepts that the less one has to put into landfill in the black bin the better and that better use of brown and green bins will follow through. Deputy Adams wants to jack up income taxes to put more pressure on working families and to have a situation where all of this comes out of general taxation. The Deputy might like to indicate what he means by that in terms of increased income taxes.

The position is that the Minister has met all the waste management companies. A freeze has been put in place for 12 months. When 1 January arrives and the dual-billing process is sent out to customers, they will be able to see the difference and compare whether the current system or the pay-by-weight system would have a better result for them, depending on what they put into the black bin. They have the option of transferring from one to the other. There are difficulties in terms of terraced houses where there is no room for a bin to go out the back such that if bags were to be done away with, it would obviously cause a problem. That is a matter that can be looked at.

In the broader context of having a more effective way of dealing with waste disposal and collection, perhaps based on a franchise per area, these are matters that should be examined. For now, customers and consumers should be very clear that the spirit of what the former Minister, Deputy Kelly, intended was not being adhered to. Ministers met the waste companies and there is now a solution in place. In the course of the coming months, reflection can be made on the waste management system generally for more effective waste collection and disposal which will reduce the impact of what is going into landfill. Deputy Adams is aware that a number of landfill sites are at full capacity and that many areas around the country now have a shortage of capacity for landfill. Everybody thinking about how they would dispose of waste generated in households will have an impact on that as well.

Deputy Adams wants to do away with all the incentives that have been there for ten or 12 years and which people are very pleased about and proud to participate in because it is good for the environment and for the extent of what goes into landfill. It is very good for people to be able to see they are making a contribution to a better country.

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