Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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170. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government to immediately suspend the planned charge system for waste collection until there is clarity on the outcome of the changes for families and households; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18012/16]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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171. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to prevent an increase in the cost of domestic waste collection; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18013/16]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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172. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government to order waste collectors to outline the justification behind increases in charges and to outline where customers' money is going; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18014/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 170 to 172, inclusive, together.

In an open market, it is a matter for a waste collector to set charges at the level they consider to be competitive, in compliance with the requirements of environmental and other applicable legislation. However, since the waste industry began releasing its planned pricing plans in relation to the nationwide roll-out of pay-by-weight charging at the start of June, I raised some concerns with the industry regarding the reported increase of waste charges for some customers from July, particularly in relation to some proposed increases in service charges.

In this regard, I engaged actively and intensively with representatives of the waste industry and have agreed a clear way forward that results in customers paying no more than their current rate for presenting the same amount of waste over the next 12 months - by means of a price freeze to end-June 2017.

From 1 January 2017, customers will be able to see through a dual billing process, details in their bills about the amount of waste they are disposing of, their costs under the continuation of their current price plan and details of the comparative pay-by-weight charge. During the transition period, to end June 2017, the Government, in partnership with the waste industry, will drive an intensive public awareness, information and promotion campaign to support customers in understanding the new system, how they can change their waste management behaviour and manage better their waste costs under a pay-by-weight system.

The above approach provides increased transparency around what charges households would incur under pay-by-weight and also provides householders with information on the operation and benefits of pay by weight along with the option to switch to pay by weight charging from 1 January, 2017.

After the transitional 12-month period, the operation of pay-by-weight and of the wider waste market will be reviewed to inform decisions in relation to arrangements beyond 1 July 2017.