Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail)

I move amendment No. 3b:

In page 14, to delete lines 1 to 3 and substitute the following:

"The amount of the levy shall be specified in the Regulations under subsection (1) but shall not exceed an amount of €65 for each tonne of waste disposed of.".

This relates to the proposed increase in the landfill levy to a maximum ceiling of €120 per tonne. On Second Stage the Minister said he would stagger implementation of the increase with a €50 per tonne increase scheduled for September of this year, thereafter increasing to €65 and €75 per tonne in 2012 and 2013, respectively.

The issue we have with this proposal is that having spoken to several local authorities and private collectors, there is no doubt but that the collectors will pass this levy on to consumers. Currently, in several counties, including County Donegal, the landfill levy is €30 per tonne. Even if one was to increase it to €50 per tonne this September, it would be almost double the current levy. If one was to increase it to the maximum of €120 per tonne, the collectors have unequivocally stated that it could lead to doubling in the annual cost of collecting waste in bins.

I know we must move away from sending waste to landfill and find alternative ways to treat and deal with waste and that we must roll out collection of the green bin for biodegradable and organic waste countrywide. However, we cannot support an increase to €120. In the north-west, the average cost to households with bins is approximately €300 to €400 per annum. If this is implemented at the higher level of €120 per tonne and if waste is taken to landfill, the potential is there to substantially increase the charge of bin collection up to perhaps €600 and €700 per annum - effectively doubling the annual charge.

I know the Minister is staggering the increase in the payment but even at that, it is the wrong way to proceed. We also tabled amendment No. 3c which states that the increase should not exceed €7.50 in a calendar year. We do not dispute the increase to €50 this year but the absolute limit should be €65 per tonne and the increase should not exceed €7.50 in a calendar year. That would give scope to increase the fee by €7.50 this year which would be a substantial increase, almost 30% when one takes into account that the landfill charge this year is approximately €30.

Householders simply cannot afford to be hit with all these additional charges. We learned today of the €100 household charge being rolled out from next year. The plastic bag levy, if implemented, will have an impact on households. There is a septic tank charge on the way which will affect 440,000 households.

If this charge on collectable waste is implemented, households which are at breaking point simply will not be able to sustain themselves. The alternative is that they will run to the community welfare officer to try to get money to pay for basic household needs. Community welfare officers are not in a position to pay additional social welfare payments under the exceptional rules payments. Households will simply not be able to afford these charges, coupled with the increase in interest rates by the European Central Bank which are being passed on by Irish lenders. Households are at breaking point.

It would be more reasonable to proceed on the basis of €65 per tonne and no more than a €7.50 increase in a calendar year. This would at least give householders an opportunity to plan ahead. The increase would be staggered and people would only be obliged to pay an extra €7.50 in any one calendar year.

We appreciate from where the Minister is coming. However, as he stated earlier, this does not relate to making money for the State. It is more about taking a joined-up approach to the overall situation regarding waste. There will obviously be a need to deal with the question of incineration at some point in the future. Trying to put in place a massive disincentive in respect of putting waste into landfill while there is no other alternative is the wrong way to go.