Tony McLoughlin (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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576. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment further to Parliamentary Question No. 422 of 5 December 2017, the status of the proposed introduction of a waste compensation scheme for persons with high medical needs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26724/19]

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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577. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if consideration will be given to introducing a service for the collection of medical related domestic waste such as incontinence pads particularly in view of increases in domestic waste collection charges [26851/19]

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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578. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if the commitment to provide financial assistance to those that have to dispose of incontinence pads in their domestic waste can be honoured. [26886/19]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 576 to 578, inclusive, together.

Since mid-2017, a range of charging options have been operated, which encourage householders to reduce and separate their waste, and provides flexibility to waste collectors to develop various service-price offerings that suit different household circumstances. Mandatory per kilogramme pay by weight charging was not introduced. ​A Price Monitoring Group, PMG, was established in mid-2017 to monitor the on-going cost of residential waste collection to homeowners across Ireland as the ‘flat-rate structure’ was being phased out. While fluctuations in prices and service offerings have been observed, the overall trend has been relative price stability.

My Department has engaged with relevant stakeholders, including representative organisations and public bodies, in an effort to see how best to provide a financial support to persons with long-term incontinence with respect to the disposal of medical incontinence wear.

Notwithstanding the complex issues at play, which are understandable given the sensitive nature of the medical data in question, I would like assure the Deputies that I continue to be committed to addressing this issue. There are currently no plans to introduce a service for the separate collection of medical related household waste.