Grace O'Sullivan (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister, that was very useful. I still find it shocking that our country lacks an effective responsible waste management policy in this, the 21st century. We need a waste management policy that operates in the best interests of our economy, citizens and environment, and a policy that treats waste as a potential valuable resource that can be turned around creating indigenous employment supporting local sustainable jobs. The goodwill on the part of our citizens has been ruined absolutely by events such as those of recent months. The trust that prices will not shoot up suddenly is undermined and eroded. There is so much outrage over this issue and I completely understand it. Many of our citizens are well aware of their responsibilities with regard to the disposal of their household waste and know the benefits of recycling, not only the economic benefits but also the feel good factor of doing the right thing. Citizens are prepared to pay a fair and reasonable charge to ensure their waste is disposed of properly.

A pay-by-weight system is, in principle, a good way to ensure those generating excessive amounts of waste pay for what they generate leaving the average householder to pay a fair price. This should not be undermined by an excessive hike in the service charges. Once again, the Government has landed us in a dilemma due to its failure to have recognised the importance of the issue. It is blatantly obvious the Government should have intervened earlier to properly regulate the waste services market. The Government failed to consult the industry, one of the key stakeholders. It should have negotiated capping service charges at a much earlier stage. I understand the Minister has had very fruitful talks in recent days, but it is very late and has caused much concern among citizens. The Government failed not only to consult in a timely manner with the industry but with all stakeholders involved. As a result, citizens find themselves once again having to take to the streets.

Earlier this week, I had the honour of raising the sixth green flag at Glór Na Mara primary school in Tramore, County Waterford. Pupils there received their global citizen award for litter and waste management. I cannot help think it is the green schoolchildren of Ireland who are showing us real leadership on how to handle our waste. The Government should not fail future generations and should lead by example.

I welcome the freeze on the annual service charges announced yesterday as a first step. It gives time to work out a proper response to fixing the challenges in our waste management policy. Some may see this as kicking the can down the road. I see it as recognising the concerns of citizens and taking the time to prepare an effective solution in consultation with all the key stakeholders and in the best interests of the public and the environment.

We need greater regulation of the waste market. The Government should consider establishing a waste market regulator to ensure fairer outcomes for citizens. We need to explore and examine ways to overcome the legal obstacles to introducing a franchise bidding model of waste collection. This would allow companies to compete for a single contract covering a set area for a set time. Like many EU countries, we need to examine ways to reduce the amount of unnecessary packaging that enters the market in the first place. We need to use this time to build a public awareness campaign on the best ways to reduce the amount of waste generated in homes.

We need to find ways to encourage and incentivise enterprise and industry to create sustainable Irish jobs using this potentially valuable resource. I ask the Government to stop wasting our time. Let us use this time to find right solutions to waste management in Ireland. I understand very well why my colleagues in Sinn Féin have tabled this motion on the annulment of this statutory instrument. Even though I share their concerns about the impact of higher charges on ordinary householders, I cannot support the motion. However, I look forward to working with them in the Chamber to try to put forward real solutions that will result in an affordable, effective and environmentally sound waste management policy for Ireland.