Séamus Healy (Tipperary, Workers and Unemployed Action Group) | Oireachtas source

-----will simply not be able to bear and are not able to bear now. These waste collection firms have used this pay-by-weight system and the privatisation of the services to ensure they have gouged the public and ordinary families. Families with young children, who by necessity produce a lot of waste, are particularly disadvantaged by the whole pay-by-weight system and so too are elderly people who are ill. Carers are particularly disadvantaged as well. It is simply not good enough that in the Minister's amendment tonight he talks about a waiver for the 60,000 Health Service Executive patients supplied with incontinence wear. What about carers, people on basic social welfare incomes, people on low incomes and families with young children? What about large families who are particularly hit by these charges? There should be a waiver for all these categories not just the ones referred to by the Minister. The provision of domestic waste services by local authorities should recommence. At least in that situation, there are public representatives who can have an input into the particular service.

I support the motion and the amendment by the Independents 4 Change. I call for a real waiver system and for us to ensure that local authorities re-enter this market and that the huge increases in standing charges be stopped forthwith.

See this speech in context