John Deasy (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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Question 630: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his views on the recommendation in the report produced on behalf of the Combat Poverty Agency, Implementing a Waiver System: Guidelines for Local Authorities, that utilising high quality income data, consideration should be given to centralised funding of the waiver scheme, with grants given to local authorities for its operation; his further views on whether this approach will ensure that low income families are treated equally throughout the country; his further views on whether this would ensure that local authorities should not be constrained by their own financial resources in implementing a proper waiver system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33885/05]

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 669: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, further to Parliamentary Question No. 772 of 8 November 2005, if he will make a statement on the proposal for a national policy for a waiver scheme for waste management charges for local authorities from the Combat Poverty Agency. [34428/05]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 630 and 669 together.

As indicated in the reply to the Question No. 772 of 8 November 2005, the determination of waste management charges and waivers is a matter for the relevant local authority where it acts as a service provider. Similarly, where a private operator provides the collection service, it is a matter for that operator to determine charges.

I have asked local authorities to engage with commercial waste collectors with a view to agreeing on a scheduling of payments, that is, a pay-as-you go system, rather than a periodic lump sum payment. This approach would be likely to be of particular value to low income households, as has been recognised in the Combat Poverty Agency guidelines.

Waste management services have traditionally been provided at a local level, with individual arrangements being locally determined and tailored to local circumstances. The present legal framework reflects this. While noting the views of the agency with regard to a greater contribution of waste collection schemes, I do not consider it appropriate to propose a departure from the existing statutory provisions which reflect the local nature of waste management services. However, I am giving consideration to the overall regulation of the waste management sector, including whether and to what extent there might be a need to identify public service obligations appropriate to service providers.