Martin Ferris (Kerry North, Sinn Fein)
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Question 485: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if a local authority can place a condition on the waste permits it issues obliging private waste operators to provide a tag for bin service as one of two options it offers to their customers as part of the pay by use system in operation. [32069/08]

Martin Ferris (Kerry North, Sinn Fein)
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Question 486: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if there are legal reasons prohibiting a tag for bin requirement being placed on waste collection permits in the north-east region in view of the fact that the north east waste management plan states that a fixed annual fee is not deemed adequate as it does not provide sufficient incentive to minimise waste, and the tag for bin system is recognised as one of the options under the pay by use system as being a proven incentive to minimise waste and encourage recycling. [32070/08]

Martin Ferris (Kerry North, Sinn Fein)
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Question 487: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he is satisfied that a local authority can, through the waste permit, allow a private waste collector scrap the proven and successful tag for bin service and replace it with a fixed annual fee which is not deemed adequate under a region's own waste management plan. [32071/08]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 485 to 487, inclusive, together.

The Waste Management (Collection Permit) Regulations 2007 (as amended) came into operation on 1 June 2008 and replaced the Waste Management (Collection Permit) Regulations, 2001. The regulations provide for a system of permitting by local authorities of commercial waste collection activities and set out procedures for making permit applications, public consultation, consideration by local authorities of submissions in relation to permit applications, and the grant, refusal and review of permits by local authorities. The regulations provide for the nominated local authorities to attach such conditions as they consider necessary to give effect to the objectives of the relevant regional waste management plan and to apply charges for household waste collection that respect the polluter pays principle, which informs policy in this regard in Ireland.

It is important that all reasonable steps are taken to encourage the sound environmental management of waste and in particular to encourage waste prevention, reuse, recycling and recovery. Any move by a waste collection service provider away from use based charging must be regarded as a retrograde step. Nominated authorities, as the bodies with statutory responsibility for the issuing or reviewing of waste collection permits, should apply all necessary conditions, as provided for in the 2007 Regulations, to provide for weight and/or volume based waste charges.