Written answers

Wednesday, 17 September 2014

Department of Environment, Community and Local Government

Waste Management Regulations

Photo of Joanna TuffyJoanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1536. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the position regarding the need to regulate household waste collection; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33906/14]

Photo of Alan KellyAlan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Environmental standards in relation to the collection of waste are governed by the Waste Management (Collection Permit) Regulations 2007 and their enforcement is the responsibility of local authorities. A waste collector must also comply with any waste collection bye-laws which are in force within a local authority’s functional area as well as with all other relevant legislation, environmental or otherwise.

The treatment and management of waste material is subject to a registration and permitting system by local authorities or registration and licensing by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as appropriate These systems are governed by the Waste Management (Facility Permit & Registration) Regulations 2007 and the Waste Management (Licensing) Regulations 2004. The primary purpose of the registration, permitting and licensing system is to place appropriate controls on waste facilities and activities so as to ensure good and consistent waste management practice and the implementation of high standards of environmental protection.

Enforcement of conditions attaching to waste collection permits, certificates of registration, waste facility permits or waste licences are matters for the relevant local authority or the EPA as appropriate. Under section 60(3) of the 1996 Act, I am precluded from exercising any power or control in relation to the performance, in specific cases, by a local authority or the EPA of their statutory functions under the Act.

My role as Minister is to provide a comprehensive legislative and waste policy framework through which the relevant environmentalregulatory bodies, such as local authorities and the EPA , operate. In that context, I intend to introduce legislation early next year, to come into effect in July 2015, to significantly reform the regulation of household waste collection, including introducing measures to require collectors to operate the pay by weight system across all 3 bins as a condition of the permit and meet certain minimum standards of customer service (for example, specified frequencies of collection). It will also become a statutory requirement for all collectors to have customer charters in place. I will be setting out in law what the minimum content of these customer charters will be so that standards of service are raised and are consistent.

My remit as Minister does not extend to industrial relations issues such as workers’ rights and conditions or industrial dispute resolution in the waste or any other sector.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.