Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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778. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the basis on which a company (details supplied) can introduce a monthly service charge to customers who specifically choose to use a pay-per-lift service. [30710/18]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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As Minister for Communications, Climate Action & Environment, I have no role in relation to the terms and conditions of private contracts, or in enforcing consumer protection legislation. 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.

Notwithstanding the above, I established a Household Waste Collection Price Monitoring Group (PMG) last year to monitor pricing developments for household waste collection services during the phasing out of flat rate fees. The PMG has met each month since September 2017 and has considered nine months of pricing data trends. The PMG has indicated that, in the vast majority of cases to date, prices have remained stable. Detailed data on the price offerings for the months of December to June is available on www.dccae.gov.ie 

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) is also currently conducting a separate study on the operation of the household waste collection market which it will complete in 2018.  

The results from the PMG in conjunction with the study being undertaken by the CCPC will provide an evidence base for future policy decisions in relation to the household waste market.