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

1026. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the status of the report on the proposal announced in 2016 to give waste companies a €1.5 million reduction in landfill fees to offset the price freeze; the position regarding the promised information campaign which was supposed to be funded on foot of this reduction;; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34703/17]

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

The charges applied by waste management companies are a matter between those companies and their customers, subject to compliance with all applicable environmental and other relevant legislation, including contract and consumer legislation.  Last year, the waste management industry had committed to providing a full weight allowance for the disposal of non-infancy incontinence wear to patients supplied with such products by the HSE, if a mandatory pay-by-weight per kilogramme charging system was introduced for household waste collection on 1 July 2016. There was a proposal under consideration at that time whereby half of the landfill levy payable on the incontinence wear in question would be used to fund an awareness campaign, the other half would be given to waste companies to offset some of their costs in disposing of the material.

However, as the waste industry began releasing its proposed prices under a mandatory pay-by-weight system in June 2016, the Government relayed its concern to the industry regarding the reported escalation of waste bills for customers of certain companies and mandatory pay-by-weight per kilogramme charging was not implemented.

My Department, in consultation with the Regional Waste Management Planning Offices, had designed a public awareness campaign to coincide with the introduction of a mandatory pay-by-weight charging structure. However, with the removal of mandatory pay-by-weight charging, this campaign was withdrawn.

There was no proposal to give waste companies a €1.5 million reduction in landfill fees to offset the voluntary price arrangement.