Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Government believes the significant progress that has been made with recycling rates and diversion from landfill has been very positive for our environment and our communities. As the Deputy knows, the Minister has actively engaged with representatives of the waste industry with a view to agreeing a way forward that results in customers paying no more over the next 12 months than they are currently paying for waste. The approach that was agreed with industry involved a price freeze to the end of June 2017. The Minister has every intention of monitoring very closely the agreement that has been reached. He has said he will take action if there are breaches in this regard. He has been in contact with the company mentioned by Deputy Collins and he will be in further contact with it. He has made it clear that he will introduce legislation if necessary. If the agreement he reached with the waste companies is being broken - he will continue to monitor this very carefully - he will take action. I want to say clearly that situations like those described by Deputy Collins will be dealt with by the Minister as long as they are out of line with the agreement. He will take action with the particular company. He has already engaged with it on some of the issues raised by the Deputy. He has publicly expressed his dissatisfaction with a particular company regarding the manner in which it required customers to opt out of the pay-by-weight system, as opposed to being offered the opportunity to opt in.

The Deputy can be assured that the Minister is monitoring the situation carefully. He is engaged and will continue to engage on the matter. If the agreement is being broken and action is necessary, he will take action.

See this speech in context