Fianna Fáil Deputy Eugene Murphy has called on Minister Simon Coveney to explore the option of revoking waste collectors licences in Counties Roscommon and Galway if they continue to hike up standard charges for new customers.
Deputy Murphy said he had received numerous complaints from constituents throughout the region who were currently on a pay by use or a tag system who are now being informed by some waste collectors that they are being treated as new customers and are subject to a service charge and a weight charging system despite the fact that a price freeze is in operation.
“Pay by weight charges have been frozen for 12 months while the Government decides how to regulate the system and the sector but many pay by use customers have now been left in limbo land. One particular constituent was in contact with me to say that his bin charges are going up from €13 per bin lift with a tag to a €17 service charge per month plus 0.22 per Kg. This means that this particular individual will have to pay €300 for one year for two adults and this is with the pay freeze in operation which is totally unjust,” said Deputy Murphy.
Deputy Murphy also highlighted the fact that County Roscommon had a significantly higher population of older people and many pensioners may currently be operating under a pay by use or tag system.
“Some single pensioners may have a very limited number of black bins due to their lifestyle and circumstances and each bin tag may have only cost between €12 to €13 yet these pay by usage customers are now being treated as if they were new customers by some waste collectors and now face a flat service charge and a charge per weight,” said Deputy Murphy.
The Fianna Fail Deputy has called on the Minister for the Environment Simon Coveney to put in place an exemption for pay by usage customers as he says they have been left “in limbo land.” Deputy Murphy has raised the matter with Minister Coveney through a parliamentary question.
“The 12 month price freeze was designed to ensure that customers would not be unfairly charged, and we must ensure that all providers play fair and not abuse the system,” said Eugene Murphy TD.