Seán Kyne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Yes, perfect. I welcome the Minister of State. I thank the Labour Party for tabling this motion on the very important issue of waste collection, which has gone through a myriad of different regimes and changes over the years. Whether we have an ideal system or not I cannot say. I come from Galway and waste collection is not an issue that has exercised people for a number of years but the situation is probably different in Dublin. As far as I can see, the model used in Galway seems to work okay because I have not received many complaints about it but that might be different in other parts and other local authorities.

I very much agree with the concerns expressed about illegal dumping and the need for greater regulation, greater use of the existing powers and the need to enhance the powers that relate to CCTV. There are ongoing issues with people dumping waste on bog roads. Moreover, the issue of burning wires to extract copper is an issue that has been raised on numerous occasions. The only way to resolve these problems is to ensure there is adequate CCTV and there are powers to prosecute.

I have raised the issue of brown bins here before in respect of food waste. There is a plan to roll out the service across all of the countryside. I am not sure when that will take place but agreement has been reached. Can the Minister of State update us on how fast all parts of rural Ireland will receive brown bins, if they have not got them at present? The 500-person cap in respect of receiving brown bins heretofore has meant that many substantial rural areas did not receive coverage of the brown bin and they would like to see that.

One issue that people face in many parts of rural areas is that collection trucks cannot drive down some side roads or small roads and people are encouraged to bring their bags to the head of a road. If bags are left at the head of a road then there is a risk they will be opened by wild animals, pets, birds or whatever else, thus causing rubbish to be strewn around the area. I refer to areas where there is not a turning circle at the end of a road so for safety and everything else it is difficult for trucks to collect rubbish. Obviously there is competition and competition can often be healthy but if multiple trucks must travel on urban roads then they can cause a certain amount of concern. The brown bins in my area are collected every fortnight on a Tuesday, and black bins and recycling are collected on the Thursday. If companies have different collection days, and their customers are different people on a certain street, one can imagine how a racket would be created very often with multiple pick-ups. I have not experienced that situation at home but I can see how it could be an issue.

The motion is interesting in respect of Bord na Móna Recycling. Again, it would be regrettable if the company is getting out. Obviously a decision has been made and I am not sure what powers the Minister has to consider the matter. I presume that the decision was made and agreed by the board. Were the decision to have an impact on customers and to result in a lesser service, then that would be of concern.

On the calls for the re-municipalisation of waste collection, again it is a difficult area. In the past, local authorities had difficulty with ensuring there were sufficient landfill places. Creating a landfill place is not the most popular endeavour in communities. It is not something that the majority of communities would welcome, which creates difficulties in providing such necessary services. As for the incinerator at Ringsend, or is it Poolbeg?