Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Fianna Fáil councillors across the State are wringing their hands and telling people this is terrible but there is nothing they can do about this awful and unfair mess. However, when a motion is tabled and the Seanad is in a position to exercise one of the few powers that would make it relevant, capture the imagination of citizens and act in their interests, it transpires that we will not be able to get this motion over the line because Fianna Fáil has done another deal with Fine Gael. If, as expected, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael unite again to vote down a sensible Opposition proposal that would have us go back to the drawing board for the reasons I have outlined, the Minister will have to tell householders in County Donegal and elsewhere who live in urban conglomerations with a population exceeding 500 what they should do with their organic waste. How will he ensure they have the brown bins they need to separate their waste? Will he ensure they are not punished under the legislation introduced by his Department, which provides that inspectors may inspect bins to ensure waste has been separated and may issue fines to householders who do not comply with the law? Will he amend those elements of the relevant statutory instrument?