Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
Updated 3pm
TAOISEACH LEO VARADKAR says price regulation of bin charges will be introduced if necessary.
During Leaders’ Questions this afternoon, Varadkar acknowledged that there is a concern among the public about a sudden or massive hike in bin charges under the guise of a new system.
“We understand that this concern exists and it is a legitimate fear that people may have so we have agreed to put in place a watchdog that will monitor prices and we reserve the right as a Government to bring in price regulation if the industry hikes prices or uses this change as a cover for dramatically hiking prices,” he said.
He said it will be least 15 months before the new bin charges regime is introduced.
He indicated that this will give enough time for rolling contracts to lapse, resulting in the end to flat-fee charging.
“I should point out that this is not unregulated industry. This is not a free-for-all. A licensing system is in place. Someone cannot just collect bins. They need a licence in order to do so,” added Varadkar.
Asked about the new scheme at a press conference earlier today, Varadkar said the new charges aim to tackle Ireland’s reliance on landfill, which he said is unsustainable.
He said he did not want any more landfill sites to be opened, adding:
I don’t want anyone to have to live behind a new dump.
The Taoiseach defended the new scheme stating that it is a “sound environmental decision”.
Flat fee abolition
It was announced last Tuesday that flat fee bin charges are to be scrapped in a shaking-up of the waste charging regime.
This means the ‘all-in flat rate’ charging for household waste will start to be phased out as customers renew or enter new service contracts.
Minister Denis Naughten said the customer will be able to control their own bin charges through a number of options.
Under the new arrangement, waste collectors will be given the flexibility to continue to offer, or to introduce, a range of incentivised pricing options to their customers.
These options include the option of standing charges, per-lift, per-kilogramme, weight-bands, as well as weight allowance charges.
Opposition parties have been lining up in protest against the new charging regime.
Need for waste regulator
Fianna Fáil have called for an independent regulator to be set up before any changes are made to the current bin charging regime.
Speaking in advance of the party’s Private Members motion, which will be taken tonight in Dáil, the party spokesperson on Communications, Climate Change and Environment Timmy Dooley said there is “deep unease” that the changes “will lead to rocketing prices”.
Dooley said that a waste regulator “is desperately needed to ensure that there is no price gouging and fixing in the industry”, and so that consumers have someone to complain to if they have issues with their operator.
“The Government over the past 12 months have failed to deliver on the promises they made to allay the fears many consumers had about changes to the charging regime, and the ending, in particular, of flat fees,” he told reporters in Leinster House this morning.
Dooley said an independent regulator, which will set limits on prices, will provide security for householders. However, last week, Naughten said the government could play no role in price setting due to competition law.
It’s understood the government wiil submit a counter motion in the Dáil this week.
Work together?
It was envisaged that Sinn Féin would put down their own motion this week on bin charges, however Fianna Fáil’s private members time slot came up first, forcing Sinn Féin to withdraw their motion.
Fianna Fáil have called on Sinn Féin to support their motion this week.
“If they want to play politics with it and cast aspirtions that is up to themselves. There is an opportunity for them to be responsible today, to challenge the government in an effective way, with ourselves… it is not about political point scoring,” said Dooley.
Last night, a motion to stop the implementation of new bin charge systems was passed by Dublin City Council (DCC).
Sinn Féin councillor Daithí Doolan said: “ It is hugely significant that Dublin City Council voted to support the Sinn Féin motion. This sends out a very loud and clear message to the Government, their proposals on bin charges are punitive and wrong. They should be immediately stopped.
The seeds for the current crisis in waste management were sown by consecutive governments pursuing a privatisation agenda. Simply privatising the industry and walking away is not an option.
“Dublin City Council has spoken in one voice tonight. This council demands Minister Naughten to stop these new charges, establish a central regulator, introduce steps to reduce, reuse and recycle waste and introduce a waiver system for low income families.”
The Labour Party also have concerns about the new regime, with Senator Sean Sherlock stating that the changes will cause a vaccum in charges before September and allow companies to act with “cartel-like behaviour”. Meanwhile, the Social Democrats have said there should be “no free-for-all” for the waste companies.
- With additional reporting from Garreth MacNamee.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
My god the council did something for the people!! The works is going to end I tell ya
@Shane Cormican: old up now!!!!! It could just be more for the taxpayer to pay. After all it seems it’s the lowest paid and Vulnerable that they seem concerned about. So that usually means the hard pressed middle will once again shoulder the weight.
@Mary Murphy: the so called squeezed can sell off their 171 car. Take johnny and mary out of grinds, give up the holiday home and move out their semi D in terenure or quit moaning,
If you earn more money then you pay more taxes,
If your not happy with that maybe the lot of you moan bags should give up buying rubbish and living beyond your means to feed your sense of entitlement.
@Boycott Topaz: Rubbish!
@Boycott Topaz: Those who earn more money are expected to pay for everything though. The fact if the matter is when all benefits including rent allowance are taken into account it is highly possible that those who can afford the foreign holiday are those who cannot be bothered to get up to work.
@Boycott Topaz: i have none of that which you make broad sweeping statements about but i wont qualify for a waiver. I won’t expect a constructive reply in regards to my situation and the Sinn fein approach to resolving it. Next time try to hide your jealousy for those that have what you don’t. I’m not one of them btw. I’m the silent middle you shout over and that you assume and speak for while not actually regarding for. Look at yourself and speak for yourself rather than for others. It’s progressive. You might like it. Anyway I’m just a talking dog. I add as much to this as you do. Woof.
@Boycott Topaz: that’s a very poor joke. If it’s not meant to be a joke then you really don’t understand wages less tax you fool
@filthypete: I am a member of middle class or so called because I a little better paid than some who get social and allowances. So talking to that fool with his ridiculous comment about 171 car and buying rubbish is a waste of good air. Mind you one man’s rubbish is another man’s ransom so who’s to say what’s rubbish apart from his comment
@Mary Murphy: well put. Woof ;)
Privatisation : Look how well it works!
@Dante Marquinhos:
Quangos! Look how well they work.
Jobs for the Boys! Look how often FF suggest these.
How about we don’t bother with another toothless regulator but just draft decent legislation and go straight to bringing criminal charges against those garbage firms that ignore the rules?
@Brinster: You know that would never happen with the Fianna Gael coalition, as the EU Commission would likely shoot it down for ‘interfering with the free market principles’.
@Good Early: There is no free market when there is only one bin company operating in your area.
If these new charges come in I can only imagine the fly-tipping.
@Deborah Behan:
Just remove all packaging in the supermarket after paying for your purchases, only a fool pays twice.
@Deborah Behan: it’s alright Deborah…Timmy wants a regulator who’ll sort this out…i mean what could go wrong with a regulator???
@Tony Skillington: Remember at the height of the crash, the regulator had no problem hiking energy bills?
All they do is rubber stamp decisions made by corporations to give it the veneer of fairness.
@Tony Skillington: Indeed Tony Look how well the Taxi industry is regulated. Brilliant:::: Always a taxi there when you want it. Lovely shiny new cars and highly trained and pleasant driver’s. Such bliss On a more serious note can anyone tell me why you can’t get anyone other than Panda to collect your waste in D15 ???? Competiojn my A**e.
Bravo,,,,maybe the council’s all over should never have given the service to private companies
@billy Dorney: Gareth Fitzgerald privatised bin charges. It’s FG policy all over.
@billy Dorney: indeed the council bin men were so excellent at their job in the past!!
@billy Dorney: We have 6 collections on our road every week such is the mess with waste companies. No economics in this nonsense. Our Meath County Council oversee this mess and will not even cut grass in any housing estate in Meath . They leave it to the Residents to pay for and organise. Complete reform needed for vital services.
@Allan O’Shea: hope that changes,im not fg
@David Conroy: corks as bad
Minister Denis Naughten said the customer will be able to control their own bin charges through a number of options. This is patently not true, as things stand, we are recycling with most of my neighbours using two green bins fortnightly, using glass and clothing bring banks and a small brown bin which is inadequate for garden waste/organic waste, the black bin 240l /40kg is the only alternative bin fortnightly, so based on a family producing 20kg black bin waste a week (equivalent of 20 bags of sugar for comparison) and presently costing 9.90 up to 18.00 if excess weight charges apply over and above 40kg fortnightly,( not including the standing charge currently 50 euro per annum) there is no provision to control costs as reducing weight below these limits is not a reality , our back is to the wall and bin companies can charge whatever with no limits as Naughten has stated he can not control prices, all of the options on the table are already in force and charges are already only going one way, Up.
@Honeybee: People should stop buying convenience food and takeaways, hand back excess packaging at the supermarket when you pay for your shopping and take out the fliers from newspapers etc. By EU law the shop have to accept excessive packaging. Put a note on your door not to post unsolicited rubbish and tell the post man not to put through your door that is not addressed to you or any member of your family by name and buy a subsidised compost bin from your local authority if they are available ( http://www.cre.ie/Home%20Composting/Home-composting1.html) too many people are making easy money from rubbish and it is up to reduce it before it is foisted on us. These steps will save you money and will discourage the actual polluters from creating rubbish that we are expected to pay for getting rid of.
@Jho Harris:
Well said but will they wake up?
@Marco Pollo: I doubt it I have mentioned this situation several times in the past and nothing happened. TV3 had a consumer piece this morning and this subject was not mentioned at all.
@Honeybee: Have you tried dumping the problem in your local authority offices?
Is there any way to see the accounts of all domestic waste companys? Be good to see how much they are struggling, i suspect all these companys are off shore…
@Stephen Cullen: good points
A council with a majority of populist parties passes populist legislation, how surprising
@Ian McNally: Not really Ian, a council with a conservative majority will just as likely pass conservative policies in line with their own agenda, it’s how it works, no surprises what so ever.
@Ian McNally:
Can you define what you mean by ‘populist’?
FG won’t be happy ☺️
Privatization of some services just means companies with off shore accounts make more money .More electricity companies we ended up with higher prices .H.S.E. outsourced services to so called charities people ended up with inflated salaries and the taxpayer been ripped off ,With these new bin charges been changed ,no matter how much you recycle you will end up paying more .Right wing polices mean ordinary people ending up paying more money .
Privatisation of a public service like waste management will be a disaster.
The market cannot be trusted.
@Simon Murphy: yes
@Simon Murphy: You mean privatisation like weve had for the past 10+ years, yup hasnt been working at all……
Whats very sad is that people went to jail for standing in front of waste lorries in protest at the privatization of the waste system.
All the potential risks with privatisation that were highlighted then have come to pass.
The councils had a monopoly on the waste system and could have made money and became an international leader in the waste and recycling industry.
Privatisation or profiteering of essential public services doesnt work or favour the people.
@Stephen Maher: The council’s provided a service which , loking back at it now, was low cost and had generous waiver schemes for those who couldn’t afford to pay. They had to give up their waste collections because hard left groups told people they shouldn’t be “paying twice” (now where did I hear that before ?). The same hard left groups now want the council’s to start collecting bins again. The PAYE worker gets rode again in favour of those who want everything but pay nothing.
@Alan Dillon:
who are the soft left then and hard right?
@Alan Dillon:
The left tried to stop privatisation anx they were right.
No need to look back, the information was there all along. It waz wrong to privatise.
The council wouldnt meet recomendations for alternating between green bin one week black bin following week and Governments in ireland have a tendancy to gear everything towards privatisation which is a delay tactic for not dealing with current issues which can effect your parties outcome at the next election.
FG LB FF SF didnt support the bin charges campaign but are all out now voicing their opinon.
To little to late again.
Privatisation of waste management has failed.
Time to renationalise.
Irish Water Part 2.
Bring it on.
We’ve had the charges in Dun Laoighre rathdown for years.
It’s about 70 euro service charge + 3.20 a lift + 27.7c a kg, green bin has no lift or weight charge.
The brown bin is the extra and unless you put in over 4 tons it works out dearer than a black bin as there’s an additional service charge
No point having a regulator when the existing regulators we have don’t have any teeth. Plus whenever a price hike is applied for they just say “sure yes, go ahead”. Ride the ordinary people every time.
A regulator? because regulators have benefited greatly in the past. You’ve got to admire Fianna Fail though coming up with such great ideas for problems created by them.
See what happens when you’re prepared to thrash it out!
If this bin shit is not sorted quick
It will turn in to the next water charges
Why don’t they put the bin charges in with the property tax like they do in other countries
@Thaddius T Sawballs: The UK does this, they’re property tax is multiples of ours.
@Thaddius T Sawballs: they can’t. Because in other countries it’s a council tax and the tenant pays, in Ireland the landlord pays, and he is not responsible for his tenants bins
@Reg: the property tax as you call it is called council tax in the UK! That covers waste,water and maintenance.
@Reg: Reg our property tax is frozen till 2019 , when u compared the UK to Ireland then do it properly at least, we get nothing for paying property tax in the UK they get a lot … u will see how much property tax we will be paying in 2019 ….
@Reg: its called council tax and they get a lot of services for it.
@Adrian: Water is separate to council tax in the UK. Add another 400 quid or so.
@Thaddius T Sawballs: cos ,like the motor tax,it will go elsewhere,other than roads etc
@Reg: I know I lived there
What your not mentioning is the school books,parks library s, swimming pools
And several other amitinys are paid through the property tax
Here it’s just a straight forward tax
@Adrian: no water is a separate bill
@Thaddius T Sawballs: They certainly get more, they also pay significantly more. We have parks and libraries too!
@Reg: what are you paying for what kind of property/approx value? You need to back up your claim. I’ll happily give you UK facts when you do.
@Joseph Siddall: I’m paying about €500 a year for a 4 bed semi-d in Dublin.
Just wondering why are we paying household tax, what’s that all about ???
Pity FF weren’t as concerned about a financial regulator during the financial crisis. Then FG and FF wouldn’t have had to rip off their own people to save themselves and the state finances which they squandered.
@Adrian: not forgetting Labour of course. What was it again? Oh yeah, ‘Frankfurt’s way or Labour’s way’. Party of the people!
Fg refused rent caps,and it made housing crisis worse.now refuse charges will go through the roof.
Lets see the rest of the Councils around Ireland follow suit…..
No matter how much u recycle the waste companies will still want there buck off you…they will still maintain there profits
It should never have been privatized in the first place. These bin charges will only go in one direction as usual -UP and UP…
I compost everything I can, I recycle everything I can, but my waste bin is still heavy as we have 6 people in the house. I don’t see how this is a deterrent to people like me, it is merely causing more financial hardship to large families
They need to stop all this charges nonsense. Just put the local property charge up to a grand a year and it will cover everything. It’s the only charge outside income tax that gets paid because revenue collects it.
@KerryBlueMike: but then they’ll need to move the burden from the landlord to the tenant.
@brian magee: Or do what France does. The property owner and occupier are charged separate taxes. If you are both then you pay both.
It’s unbelievable what I think is going to happen is people will dump there rubbish out the window of there car
This will just have people flytipping and burning their own waste more than ever.
I have paid by weight and per lift for my rubbish collections for quite a number of years now…
So, Leo might bring in price caps for bins now.
What could possibly go wrong?
Isn’t it great the way price caps on rental properties helped to reduce their cost and increase their availability?
@Cram Wood:
They have already increased their prices so better get there fingers out to control prices
have your say