The common perception is that finances are tight and that we have to cut down on expenses, but the reality is that there is a budget surplus of €5.4 billion. The Department of the Environment and Local Government and the Minister should fund benchmarking, which would create fewer difficulties on the ground in terms of waste collection. The entire waste collection system is being complicated by the issue of benchmarking and that is not a true reflection of the cost of the waste management strategies in individual local authorities.