Bin Charges Regime Will Penalise Hard Pressed Families – Crowe

Dublin South West TD Seán Crowe has described the Government’s proposed bin charges unfair and said it will penalise and put an additional burden on hard pressed families who are already  struggling to pay rising house hold bills

The outgoing Minister for Environment, Labour’s Alan Kelly, introduced a new  bin charge regime in the dying days of the last government which Crowe believes in the new Dáil arrangement has now no mandate .

Deputy Seán Crowe said:

“Many of us in Leinster House, and at Council level, argued that the privatisation of waste collection would not only lead to a job losses and a poorer service, but that it would  inevitably lead to an increase in service charges.
We know to our cost, that waste charges have increased dramatically, and  are facing into greater uncertainty but the likelyhood is that individuals and families will be forced to pay more.

“The Government is planning to introduce a new Pay-By-Weight bin charges on the 1st of July 2016 and that all other charging systems, like flat fee, pay by tag etc., will cease from this date.

“Former Minister Alan Kelly introduced mandatory minimum fees that collectors must charge per kilo, which were: 11 cent per kilo for residual waste (black bin); 6 cent per kilo for food/organic waste (brown/red bin); and 2 cent per kilo for recyclable waste (Green/Blue bin)

“There was also a significant focus on charging people for using their green/blue recycling bin and much was made of Minister Simon Coveney’s statement that people won’t be charged for using these bins.

In reality all  Minister Coveney decided to change this week was the minimum fee which can be charged for recyclable waste to 0 cent per kilo.

“This means waste collection companies now have the power to offer a continued no fee recycling collection to their customers.

“unfortunately with the control resting with the recycling companies the likelihood is that come 1st July 2016 most people will have to begin paying by weight for all of their bins including their green bins. .

“Where companies already charge by weight, the price is usually higher than the minimum price per kilo. Many parts of Ireland do not currently  have a diverse and competitive waste disposal market so they  will be stuck with whatever notional charge  their local company wants to claim.

“This new charging regime is regressive and may  well penalise and put an additional burden on hard pressed families who use their recycling bins.

“This latest government  disincentive will inevitably  lead to an increase in illegal burning and dumping with its negative impact on the physical and visual environment.

The government by placing  power in the  hands of a small number of private individual companies has contributed to this madness. Shame on them.”