Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1024. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his plans to introduce maximum charges as part of the waste charging regime in advance of the proposed changeover to pay by weight in September, 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34672/17]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The charges applied by waste management companies are matters for those companies and their customers, subject to compliance with all applicable environmental and other relevant legislation, including contract and consumer legislation.  In the interest of encouraging further waste prevention, the Government has decided that flat-rate fees for kerbside household waste collection will be phased out over the period autumn 2017 to autumn 2018 as customers contracts come up for renewal, when the necessary regulatory steps are in place.

As has been long-standing practice, a collection service provider may amend a pricing structure or a contract at any time, as long as the amendments are in accordance with all relevant legislation, including contract and consumer legislation. It is worth noting that the measure to phase out flat fees is not ‘new’ for the more than half of kerbside household waste customers who are already on an incentivised pricing plan, i.e., a plan which contains a per lift or weight related fee. There are no plans at present to introduce maximum charges. However, I am establishing a pricing monitoring function that will provide monthly reports on pricing developments and the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission will be asked to report on the operation of the household waste collection market in order to inform the future development of national waste management policy before year end.