Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

This motion, and the announcement made by Government last week that these charges are to be introduced, has made it clear that Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Independents in government are in favour of increased charges for waste collection.

Fianna Fáil has tabled this motion, not seeking to block the new charges but simply to regulate them. Additional red tape will not solve this problem. This motion is pointless. It says absolutely nothing. In fact, it gives the Government free rein to plough ahead with this. It is ordinary people who will suffer.

This is no surprise. It was Fianna Fáil which introduced the privatisation of the waste collection services. At the time, Sinn Féin warned about the financial hardship that would face people down the tracks, with huge increases in charges. This has come to pass. This is the latest example of increased charges, that will only continue to increase.

It is absolutely shocking that the new charges, and Fianna Fáil's motion, do not make exemptions for low earners. People living in poverty will not be able to afford these charges. The Government and Fianna Fáil might think that the hard times are over, but people across the State continue to be hard pressed to pay for all the additional taxes and charges that have been loaded on them throughout the recession by previous Fianna FáiI and Fine Gael Governments. People are already burdened with PAYE, PRSI, universal social charge, accident and emergency charges, prescription charges, local property tax, motor tax and bin charges, and now these bin charges are set to increase. It is an insult to allow €75 a year for families which will have additional waste for medical reasons. It is €1.50 a week. Is that the best the Minister could do?

There is no reward for recycling or composting. Increased recycling or composting food waste will mean that the waste or rubbish bin has less in it and the charge for all bins will increase to compensate for this. To claim otherwise is attempting to fool people. Everybody knows that is precisely what these waste companies will do. There is also no maximum limit for the standing charge allowing it to increase at the companies' will, even for households that rarely put a bin out for collection.

Sinn Féin's motion is seeking to block the introduction of the pay-by-weight charges. Fianna Fáil's motion falls well short of that. We are also seeking waivers for low-income families. Fianna Fáil's motion falls way short of that also. We are also seeking waivers for families who are already living in poverty. Fianna Fáil's motion also does not address that. We are in favour of waivers for those with disabilities which can lead to additional waste costs. We would also like to see waste collection under local authority control to avoid spiralling costs and lack of accountability.

Fianna Fáil's motion is pointless. There is nothing in it. It does nothing to address the issues that I have raised. It is only a sop to the Government. It is a pretend motion and is nothing more than one would expect from Fianna Fáil.

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