Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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76. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the status of the arrangements agreed with the waste management companies on the introduction of the pay-by-weight schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49102/17]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 76 and 469 together.

In line with the commitments set out in A Resource Opportunity - Waste Management Policy in Ireland published in 2012 and in the interest of encouraging further waste prevention and greater recycling, flat-rate fees for kerbside household waste collection are being phased out over the period autumn 2017 to autumn 2018, as customers contracts come up for renewal. The necessary regulatory steps have been put in place to give effect to this measure. It is worth noting that this measure is not ‘new’ for about half of kerbside household waste customers, who are already on an incentivised usage pricing plan, i.e. a plan which contains a per lift or weight related fee. As already announced, mandatory per kilogramme 'pay by weight' charging is not being introduced.

This year has seen the progression of a number of other household waste collection initiatives, including:

- the roll-out of food/organic “brown” bins to all communities with a population in excess of 500 people;

- the roll-out of information and awareness campaigns by my Department and the Regional Waste Management Planning Offices, which concentrate on the use of the "brown" bin; improving and increasing recycling; driving waste prevention; the correct use of the kerbside collection system; and,

- the establishment of a Household Waste Collection Price Monitoring Group, which is tracking rates across the country as flat rate fees are being phased out.