Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein)
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194. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the progress of discussions with a company (details supplied) on the change of price plan and for customers to stay on the current plan they have to contact the company while automatically they transfer to the new pay-by-weight scheme in the aftermath of the pay-by-weight issues and his agreement with the waste management companies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22990/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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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 proposed prices under pay-by-weight last month, the Government relayed its concern to the industry regarding the reported escalation of waste bills for customers of certain companies.

On foot of this, I actively engaged with representatives of the waste industry to agree a way forward that results in customers paying no more than they a re currently paying for waste over the next 12 months. The approach agreed with the industry is by way of a price freeze to end-June 2017. The operation of the price freeze by the industry will be closely monitored by Government and, in the event of evidence of the agreement being breached, legislative will be considered to address the issue. In this regard, my Department has held three meetings with representatives of the waste industry since 1 July 2016 and will continue to liaise with operators as necessary with regard to the consistent implementation of the agreement.

My understanding is that the company in question has contacted all of its customers and requested customers to indicate by phone, email, through using a form on their website or using a return form by post, as to whether they wish to retain their current price plan arrangements. While I have signalled that this approach is out of step with the arrangements made by other collectors in the industry, I am informed that a large number of customers have already been in contact with the company to indicate that they wish to retain their current price plan arrangements.

In terms of fees, my understanding is that the company in question is crediting customer accounts for fees pre-paid for the period after 1 July 2016, while at the same time requesting customers to enter a new annual contract from 1 August 2016.