Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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229. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the allowance exemption he will provide given to households with medical needs and in respect of the upcoming pay-by-weight refuse charges; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16662/16]

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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256. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 398 of 31 May 2016, the status of the steps he is taking, in respect of families that include a person with a disability, and whose bins are particularly heavy, as a result of that person's condition, in relation to the introduction of pay-by-weight charges for the collection of domestic refuse; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17205/16]

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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268. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the action he will take to ensure that families who rely on adult nappies in the care of a dependent with a disability or older children who are not toilet ready due to a disability, are not seriously disadvantaged by the change to a pay-by-weight waste charge system as currently is the case. [17310/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 229, 256 and 268 together.

My Department has met with groups who represent persons with special needs to discuss and explore the impact of pay-by-weight charging on households with special needs. My Department has also been in consultation with the HSE and the waste management industry to discuss the issue and to try to find a workable and fair solution to this important matter.

As part of a way forward in relation to the phased implementation of pay-by-weight charging for household waste, the waste management industry has committed to provide a full weight allowance to the estimated 60,000 patients supplied with incontinence wear to reduce their annual household waste charges; the additional weight attributed to non-infancy incontinence wear will be collected free of charge. For its part, the Government is prepared to allow a 50% exemption from the landfill levy in respect of such waste.