SEANAD REPORT: No local authority was charging a realistic rate for the disposal of waste, the Minister for the Environment and Local Government, Mr Cullen, said.
Defending the approach of the Protection of the Environment Bill, he said he was legally copper-fastening the basis of the regionally integrated waste management strategy which was in place. He wanted to make sure that this could not be overturned.
"All I am doing is making sure charges are commensurate with what people should be charging. There is not one local authority in the country coming anywhere near what the reality of it is in that area. But we have to be fair," he said.
"We have to make the investment, but we have a collective responsibility in this regard. Unfortunately, there are no soft options. It's all our responsibilities, and that is the basis I will go forward on in dealing with waste.
"I think all the councillors in this country need have no fear from my perspective, because they will see somebody who will deliver on huge and important empowerment of local government in this country over the next few years."
The Bill passed the second stage by 28 votes to 19.
Under the measure, local authority managements are to be empowered to review, vary or replace waste management plans. Local authorities are also being given powers to discontinue the collection of domestic waste in the event of non-payment of charges.
Stressing that regions would have "an edge" in attracting job-creating enterprises if they had proper waste management plans, and implemented them, Mr Cullen said there was a serious crisis and it was not just about waste - it was about the economy of the State.
Proper standards of integrated waste management were needed to drive forward the economy.
There had already been an instance where a major potential investor had gone elsewhere because the facilities were not in place to back up a national waste strategy.
Emphasising the importance of recycling, Mr Cullen said the Danes were probably the best recyclers in the world. They dealt with 50 per cent and upwards of their waste by this method. That was what we could do here, and one approach was to incentivise this activity through charging for waste disposal by weight.
It was wrong that one person with a wheelie-bin full to the brim should pay only the same amount as a neighbour who might have very little refuse. However, the necessary facilities must be in place on the recycling front before we could move to charging by weight.
The Minister said councillors would still have the ultimate sanction on the charges issue. They could refuse to support an overall estimate at annual meetings.
He believed there had been a misunderstanding about this aspect of the Bill. It was being stipulated that where a city or a county manager came in to discuss these matters with a council, the manager must propose a charge that was realistic. If the councillors did not overturn the estimate, then the charge could be implemented.
Sen Sheila Terry of Fine Gael had spoken of people burning their rubbish, added Mr Cullen. "Do I need the chief superintendent of the guards to come down to explain to them it's wrong? We need a mind-set change in this country," he added.