Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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122. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he is aware of the recently published report from the Dublin Taskforce (details supplied); if he is aware that one of the reports key recommendations was to “move to a single waste provider in the city centre via a tender process”; the assessments, if any, that his Department has carried out regarding the implementation of this model; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44540/24]

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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123. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he is aware of the recently published report of the Joint Committee on the Environment and Climate Action on the circular economy; if he is aware of recommendation 42 that the committee recommends that his Department supports the establishment of a pilot scheme in Dublin City local authority to re-municipalise waste following Dublin City Council’s adoption of a cross-party composite motion calling for the re-municipalisation of household waste services in July 2019; the assessments, if any, his Department has carried out regarding the implementation of this model; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44541/24]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 122 and 123 together.

Local Authority Executives are statutorily responsible for municipal waste collection and waste management planning within their functional areas. It is open to the Chief Executive of any local authority to exercise their executive function in relation to waste collection to re-enter the waste collection market as direct service providers if they so choose, either alongside existing permitted service providers or subject to making arrangements to replace those providers.

Under section 60(3) of the Waste Management Act 1996 I am, as Minister, precluded from exercising any power or control in relation to the performance by a local authority, in particular circumstances, of a statutory executive function vested in it.

The Deputy may wish to note that I will shortly commission a comprehensive study to explore the feasibility, potential benefits and risks associated with transitioning our waste collection system from its current model of side-by-side market competition to a franchise tendering system for local authority areas or regions.