Sir, – The Government froze the pay-by-weight legislation due to come in on July 1st, 2016, affecting 1.2 million households, because of widespread protests over fears that some companies would impose steep increases on standing charges. Under that scheme, only the charge for collection would be capped.
Now Minister for the Environment Denis Naughten has introduced a scheme with no price controls whatsoever. How can that be considered an improvement?
Mr Naughten says “the Government has no role in price-setting” but offers no explanation. Taxi-drivers are licensed in a broadly similar way to waste operators, and their fares are fixed.
The Government’s refusal to control private enterprise in markets it creates in essential services, such as waste collection and motor insurance, shows its preference for private profit over good-value outcomes for the citizen.
Furthermore, there is absolutely no guarantee that competition will generate lower prices, especially as many companies do not even display their charging system on their websites.
Mr Naughten also claims that “the current one size fits all charges penalise those who actually recycle”.
The new system heavily penalises the many citizens who, like myself, sort and store their recyclable waste at home and then bring it to a recycling centre.
I dispose of non-recyclable waste via a bag system, using about six bags per year, cost about €35. Under the new system, I will have to pay substantial standing charges for a service I hardly use.
The article "New bin charges: what do they mean and how much will they be?", June 28th) quotes Alan Kelly's estimate of a year ago that 87 per cent of households would save money on the proposed system, but these figures were widely discredited at the time.
The new system, with no price cap whatsoever, will be even more expensive. – Yours, etc,
DONAL McGRATH,
Greystones,
Co Wicklow.
Sir, – Paying for the collection of household waste on the basis of weight would be fair if the price per kilo were moderate but experience teaches that as soon as a system is established, the cost will escalate. – Yours, etc,
BRENDON K COLVERT,
Mullingar,
Co Westmeath.
Sir, – The Government is supporting increased waste charges, invoking the logic that people will be extra-mindful of waste when they have to pay more for it.
Perhaps it could use a little more logic by tackling the food industry’s excess packaging, and a little more again to understand that it is loading the burden on to the people of Ireland, while letting business get away with mass pollution.
It might also be logical to look to Scandinavia for creativity on this matter since the only solution we seem able to find is to continue to empty already depleted pockets. – Yours, etc,
KARINA TYNAN ,
Killiney,
Co Dublin.