Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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266. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the current position with regard to the implementation of increased charges for waste collections; the negotiations that are currently ongoing with waste companies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23897/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Legislation has been introduced to remove mandatory pay-by-weight charging for household waste collection. However, it is still open to a company to charge on a pay-by-weight basis. Indeed, many companies already have a pay-by-weight element to their charging structure and their customers are quite happy with this approach.

However, in response to the reported escalation of waste bills for customers of certain companies , particularly in relation to some proposed increases in service charges , I have actively engaged with waste industry representatives to agree a way forward that results in customers paying no more than they are currently paying for waste over the next 12 months, by means of a price freeze to end-June 2017.

The operation of the price freeze by the industry is being closely monitored by Government and, in the event of evidence of the agreement being breached, legislative options will be considered to address the issue. In this regard, my Department has met with representatives of the waste industry and is continuing to liaise with operators as necessary with regard to the consistent implementation of the agreement.