Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

As Deputy Barry stated, the Irish Waste Management Association agreed with the Minister recently to implement the price freeze that has been spoken about. As I stated on Thursday last on Leaders' Questions to the Tánaiste, there was a collective sigh of relief across the country such was the anger and anxiety of waste customers.

Greyhound has done the exact same. The company has said to its customers they can opt out of pay-by-weight, and if they do, they can enter into another deal where one must pay €140 up front. I made the case of a woman in my area who had paid €59.95 for a year's contract with Greyhound in January of this year and now she has been told she must pay €140 to go back into that contract from 1 August to July next year. That is a massive increase.

These companies are holding the Government and their customers, and, in Greyhound's case, its workers, in contempt in relation to this so-called gentleman's agreement. The Tánaiste stated on Thursday last that the Minister was monitoring the matter and, if necessary, he would bring in the legislation to force the companies to implement this price freeze.

Country Clean is continuing to act in this way. Another company is now following suit where it is increasing its black bin charge from €8 to €12 and its green bin from €4 to €7. Despite the polluter pays principle, they are hiking their prices up by that amount. These companies are ignoring the agreement. The Minister must not be ruthless but forthright in coming forward and doing something about this. What will he do?

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