Written answers

Tuesday, 7 November 2017

Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment

Waste Management

Photo of Jack ChambersJack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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990. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans to introduce a pay by weight scheme operated by waste collection firms; the assurances he can provide that the scheme will not result in increased costs for households; the way in which the new scheme is environmentally friendly; his views on competition in the area of waste collection; the consumer protections that are in place for households and in particular for older persons; the public information and awareness campaigns that have been conducted to inform persons on the new charge scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46827/17]

Photo of Denis NaughtenDenis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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In line with the commitments set out in A Resource Opportunity - Waste Management Policy in Ireland published in 2012 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 have been put in place to give effect to this. 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.

The waste collection market is operated by private companies where prices charged are largely a function of costs and competition in the market. The charges applied by a company are a matter between that company and its customers and not set by the State.  However, when introducing the measure to phase out flat fees, the Government gave a commitment to consumers to carefully monitor the transition in the sector. Accordingly, a Household Waste Collection Price Monitoring Group has been established and has begun the process of tracking 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, will provide an evidence base regarding future monitoring or the potential need for additional regulation of the waste market.

Information and awareness campaigns have been, and will continue to be, rolled out by the Department and the Regional Waste Management Planning Offices.  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, driving waste prevention and the correct use of the kerbside collection system.

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