Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Senators should be aware that SI No. 24/2016, which Sinn Féin is proposing to annul, does not simply deal with the introduction of mandatory pay-by-weight charging but includes a range of other vital provisions and reforms for household waste collection, permitting and requirements. There are serious consequences to annulling this statutory instrument, for whatever reason. The provisions include the application of fixed-penalty notices or on-the-spot fines for specific breaches of waste collection permits for household waste collectors. Do Senators believe it is in the interest of waste collectors that we would annul this regulation? They would probably be happy if we did. The provisions also include the automatic review of waste collection permits for specific offences, such as not weighing waste or not making the weight available to householders. A review may conclude with amending or revoking the permit. Again, this is trying to ensure that, if people in the waste industry are stepping out of line, there is a response to it.