With every man, woman and child in the State now producing approximately 600 kg of waste per year – an increase of 60% since the Celtic tiger boom commenced in 1995 – we undoubtedly have a waste disposal crisis. Action is urgently needed but hitting the public yet again with backdoor taxation is both unrealistic and grossly unfair. What is needed is real reform of the funding structures for local authorities, not piecemeal add-ons, and value for money for the customer. Re-education and the policy of zero waste would remove the need for measures such as incinceration, which is a highly controversial issue. To cope with the waste disposal crisis, promotion of the acceptance of re-using and recycling of residual waste is urgently needed. Councillors are committed to safe handling, effective recycling and environmentally sound disposal of waste products—