Written answers

Tuesday, 24 May 2016

Department of Environment, Community and Local Government

Waste Disposal Charges

Photo of John CurranJohn Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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213. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the rate per kilogram that will be charged for the black bin, the green bin and the brown bin, given the new pay-by-weight regulations coming into effect on 1 July 2016; if the current service charge will remain for householders; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11236/16]

Photo of Barry CowenBarry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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217. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if waste collection operators will still levy an annual fee to cover some costs or if all costs will have to be covered by the per kilogram bin charges under the proposed pay-by-weight bin charge regime to be introduced in July 2016. [11266/16]

Photo of Barry CowenBarry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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218. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the amount of waste as a percentage of overall domestic waste that will be diverted from landfill as a result of the proposed pay-by-weight bin charge regime; and if the introduction of a pay-by-weight charging regime is necessary to comply with the European landfill directive and the household food and bio-waste regulations. [11267/16]

Photo of Barry CowenBarry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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219. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the average charge and the price range in charges for domestic waste collection, by local authority. [11268/16]

Photo of Gerry AdamsGerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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240. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the regulatory procedure for pay-by-weight waste charges, including the process for ensuring the implementation of fair costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11548/16]

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 213, 217 to 219, inclusive, and 240 together.

Government waste policy is predicated on the waste hierarchy as set out in the EU’s Waste Framework Directive. A number of specific measures have been, and will continue to be, introduced to reduce the amount of waste generated in the State and to increase the segregation of waste which cannot be prevented in line with Government policy. The introduction of pay-by- weight charges for the collection of household waste is one such measure.

In terms of the per kilogramme and service fees which will be charged under pay by weight, the legislation requires that the collector will charge for each kilogramme of waste collected (although it is intended a nil cent per kilogramme fee may be applied for recyclable waste). The collector may also charge a service fee, which will typically cover staff, collection, administrative and back office, capital and overhead costs. The Government has set a minimum mandatory fee per kilogramme for the different types of household waste: 11c for black bin (residual waste), 6c for brown bin (food/organic waste) and I have decided that a zero cent minimum fee per kilogramme should be set for green bins (recyclate). It is a matter for the collector to set charges at the level they consider to be competitive, in compliance with the requirements of the legislation. Householders will be able to compare the charges more easily under the new system and choose the option that suits them best or is most cost effective.

Research indicates that over 440,000 tonnes of waste material could be diverted from landfill under pay-by-weight charging and its introduction will undoubtedly assist the State in achieving regional waste targets, in complying with national recycling and landfill targets under EU legislation as well as making sure that we are well placed to meet future more ambitious and sustainable targets.

In terms of the prices currently being charged by private operators, this is a contractual matter between collectors and householders.

Photo of John CurranJohn Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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214. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the waiver scheme he will put in place for low-income families and persons, given the new pay-by-weight regulations coming into effect on 1 July 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11237/16]

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Government waste policy is predicated on the waste hierarchy as set out in the EU’s Waste Framework Directive. A number of specific measures have been, and will continue to be, introduced to reduce the amount of waste generated in the State and to increase the segregation of waste which cannot be prevented in line with Government policy. The introduction of pay by weight charges for the collection of household waste is one such measure.

During the period in which local authorities were directly involved in the collection of household waste, a minority of individual Councils offered different levels of discount to selected households, based on different qualification criteria. As local authorities exited the waste collection market, some required the private operators which took on the Councils’ customers to provide a level of discount for existing waiver customers only, and even then for a limited time. The vast majority of such contractual commitments for private operators to provide a waiver have now expired. In that context, the number of households in receipt of waiver discounts is likely to decline over time, especially as some householders were able to take advantage of special reduced offers elsewhere which actually undercut the waiver price. However, selected private operators still offer some level of discount to former waiver customers on a voluntary basis. In addition, a very limited number of local authorities make financial contributions towards the cost of, or pay for, the collection of waste from certain households. Again, the qualification criteria and level of support differ from area to area. Such expenditure means that these local authorities divert funding from other areas to support these waiver provisions.

With the exception of one or two municipal districts, local authorities no longer collect waste and the market is now serviced by a diverse range of private operators, where the fees charged are a matter between service provider and customer and the services offered vary across the country. In that regard, it is becoming increasingly apparent that a national waiver scheme could not be imposed in the context of an open market for waste collection.

However, under pay by weight charging for household waste collection, there is an opportunity for everybody to have more control over their waste charges and to minimise their waste costs by preventing waste and segregating waste through using the food waste and recyclable waste bins properly. In this regard a pay by weight awareness campaign, launched on 18 May 2016, will be rolled out at national, regional and local levels in the coming weeks and will give invaluable advice to householders on minimising their waste management costs under pay by weight charging.

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