THE LABOUR PARTY will bring a private members motion to the Seanad today calling for the re-municipalisation of waste collection as a public services. 

Currently, Ireland has a privatised waste collection system with a small number of large operators. 

The Labour motion notes that in many urban areas, there is significant competition for the market which means that in some areas, multiple bin lorries from competing companies will travel the same streets.

In other areas, the Labour motion says there are “monopoly like” operations with no price competition or regulation. 

Labour says the current system produces unnecessary duplication and contributes to increased carbon emissions.

Its motion calls for waste collection to once again become a public service and for the Waste Management Act 1996 to be amended to allow local authorities to have a single tender for waste collection. 

It also calls for: 

• the Government to stop Bord na Móna from selling its waste management business;
• local authorities to increase the provision of public bins and civic recycling centres, and underground waste bins in urban centres to reduce street clutter;
• local authorities to use the powers available to them to deploy CCTV for tackling illegal dumping;
• the introduction of a bin waiver scheme to support low income households and those with additional medical needs.

Labour also argues that because there is no national regulator of the waste sector there is a lack of transparency over the profits made and the practices within the industry.

Speaking to reporters yesterday outside Leinster House, Labour Senator Marie Sherlock said illegal dumping and littering is an ongoing “scourge” with local authorities spending millions every year collecting and cleaning up illegal dumping.

The party also argues that Ireland’s municipal waste recycling rates remain too low at 41%, far below Ireland’s EU target of 55% by 2025.