Govt Accused Of Failing To Deliver Over Bin Charging Regime

The Government has been accused of failing to deliver pledges it made over the bin charging regime.

Fianna Fail is calling up for an independent waste regulator to be set up before any changes are made.

Spokesperson on Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Timmy Dooley said: "Within the space of a few hours last week, Minister Naughten unilaterally made changes to the regime that has caused great concern among householders.

"We believe that the changes being proposed by Minister Naughten will cause an increase in costs for many consumers, and this cannot be supported.

"An independent waste regulator would have a role in setting prices for waste collection, and ensuring that waste collection companies compete in an open market, and that consumers are protected from any form of price gouging.

"In addition to the regulator, our motion focuses on the need to deal with illegal fly tipping that has been on the increase for the past number of years.


"We need to ascertain whether or not there is a causal link between increasing waste collection charges and illegal dumping.

"Our motion calls on the Government to allocate resources to Local Authorities to enable them investigate properly incidents of illegal dumping, to find out who is doing the dumping, and to fine them.

"Consumers, right across the country, have been paying for waste collection for years. They accept that for environmental reasons we need to reduce the amount going to landfill and incineration."

Sinn Féin Dublin Bay North TD Denise Mitchell has called on the Government to back down on its plan for bin charges hikes.

She said: "What we are seeing here, as we saw with the water charges campaign, is an attempt by Fianna Fáil to ride two horses at once. They introduced bin charges in Government and now they are attempting to water-down our party's motion opposing the new charging regime. With their motion, Fianna Fáil have clearly backed this hike in bin charges – with the caveat of wanting it regulated. That isn't good enough.

"Sinn Féin wants this government to immediately back down on the issue of this new bin charges regime and look at the feasibility of greater public ownership and possible remunicipalisation of household waste collection.

"This new system does nothing to help waste reduction. Instead of penalising consumers, more pressure needs to be brought on manufacturers and wholesalers to reduce the amount of unnecessary packaging on their products."

(CD/LM)