Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 188 to 191, inclusive, together.

In line with the commitments set out in A Resource Opportunity - Waste Management Policy in Ireland published in 2012, a number of additional legislative measures have been introduced to further regulate the waste collection industry. Examples include: the introduction of fixed payment notices for the contravention of specific conditions of a waste collection permit; providing for the review of a waste collection permit in primary legislation and also specifying instances whereby an automatic review of a permit is triggered; and strengthening the provisions around what constitutes a 'fit and proper person' to hold a waste collection permit. Furthermore, legislation has been introduced to explicitly strengthen the regulation of household waste collectors, including requirements on operators to have customer charters in place; to weigh each and every collection of waste and to make that weight available to the householder; and to provide a minimum level of service in terms of the collection of recyclable material and food waste.

In line with A Resource Opportunity and in the interest of encouraging further waste prevention, 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. The necessary regulatory steps are being put in place to give effect to this, however, it is worth noting that the measure to phase out flat fees is not ‘new’ for about half of kerbside household waste customers, who are already on an incentivised usage pricing plan, i.e., a plan which contains a per lift or weight related fee.

Information and awareness campaigns have been, and will continue to be, rolled out by the Department and the Regional Waste Management Planning Offices to take account of the new approach to waste reduction, increased recycling and charging. In particular, the Regional Waste Management Planning Offices will continue to roll out waste awareness and education initiatives re-focussing on the use of the brown bin, but also concentrating on improving and increasing recycling, waste prevention and the correct use of the kerbside collection system.

Notwithstanding the above measures, a Household Waste Collection Price Monitoring Group has been established and has begun the process of monitoring the rates charged by household waste collectors. The Household Waste Collection Price Monitoring Group has met on two occasions, 13 September, 2017 and 11 October, 2017. The Group comprises representatives from the Waste Policy & Resource Efficiency Division and an economist from my Department, the Central Statistics Office and a company with expertise in price monitoring. The company made a presentation to the Group at the meeting on 11 October, 2017 based on the data it had collected as part of the first data sweep of the market.  They will report back to the Group on a monthly basis and a report on the data collected will be published. 

In addition, the Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation has asked the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) to conduct a study on the operation of the household waste collection market. The CCPC has indicated that it hopes to finalise the study in early 2018.

The results from the Household Waste Collection Price Monitoring Group will be monitored and analysed and in conjunction with the study being undertaken by the CCPC, provide an evidence base regarding future monitoring or the potential need for additional regulation of the waste market.