Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank my colleague, Deputy Dooley, for bringing forward this very important motion. The position is clear. The Government has had 12 months to deal with this issue and it has completely failed to address the problems around waste collection. Ultimately, it has failed to protect households which are now being exposed to higher prices and a raft of new stealth charges.

The Taoiseach talks about the new so-called hidden fiscal space and that he wants to give tax cuts to the people who follow a similar early morning regime to him, but we know that with the regime the Minister is trying to introduce, that will be gone with the raft of new bin charges facing people. There is a lack of clarity, education and awareness about the new charging system for many hard-pressed families who will inevitably pay more.

This is an issue that is causing concern and distress for many individuals and families. I have been made aware that one waste collector, Panda, is now imposing different charges, fees, fines and penalties, seemingly at will. Under a new agreement and terms and conditions it has proposed, it has said it will charge between €10 and €25 if a customer accidentally puts the wrong item in the wrong bin. One Pringles can put in a green ban could result in a fine of between €10 and €25. This is outrageous and the Minister is doing nothing about it. We have a toothless watchdog. We need a fully financed regulator such as the one we proposed.

The agreement also orders the customer to reimburse Panda for all expenses and costs if there is any delay to bins being collected, and the agreement also gives the company “sole discretion” over the price of service. As my colleague, Deputy Lahart, mentioned, we are giving an effective cartel sole discretion over the setting of price. This is a €1 billion industry that requires regulation and intervention from Government around pricing.

Most concerning of all, Panda states that its representatives shall have access to the premises where the bins are located. If there are any delays due to access being delayed or unavailable, Panda will be reimbursed by customers. Panda is giving itself more power to enter property and premises than that available to gardaí. That is outrageous in what is a draft agreement and terms and conditions of which customers are not aware.

We know that waste collection companies are exploiting the Government’s inaction and are bringing in whatever hidden charges and penalties they wish. This is a cash cow industry with unlimited companies. We are uncertain of their profits because they do not publish their accounts. It is important we have proper regulation and oversight. When we are talking about a €1 billion industry for a public utility, we need to intervene. We must do the right thing. This is the Minister's opportunity to do that, but giving the likes of Panda sole discretion to set the rules in the market will undermine waste collection for many years to come. This is the Minister's chance to get off the fence and deal with this matter.

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