Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I want to ask the Taoiseach about the reports in the media that the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Deputy Denis Naughten, was to tell the Cabinet that the pay-by-weight bin charges were to be abandoned and that the system is inflexible and will not work. Perhaps the Taoiseach will acknowledge if this is true and indicate when this matter will be brought before the House. We would welcome the measure and would recognise it as a result of pressure from ordinary people who see this as a problem. They are being penalised for the high costs of landfill at the behest of the profits of the big waste companies most of whom, as the Taoiseach is aware, keep their accounts off-shore in the likes of the Isle of Man where a significant proportion of their profits are kept from public scrutiny. The Companies Act will allow some scrutiny of those profits but I reject fully the Green Party argument that says pay-by-weight is a good thing as it would penalise the polluter. I believe that the Minister, Deputy Naughten, is now recognising that many of these polluters are people with large families, who by their nature will have more waste, and people with special needs and health needs. If one looks at the statistics, Ireland has a very high rate of recycling. When will the Taoiseach announce to the House the abandonment of pay-by-weight?

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