Galway West – South Mayo Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh has welcomed clarifications from Minister Simon Coveney and Barna Waste Recycling that the company has reduced the new costs that it had been proposing to charge customers under a new waste management system.
Speaking today the Sinn Féin Senator says:
‘I have received confirmation from the Minister and Barna Waste Recycling that exorbitant charges which were to be introduced from July 1st, have now been dramatically reduced.
‘Sinn Féin have opposed the new arrangements for waste recycling brought in by Alan Kelly and supported by the current administration, to allow the private waste companies charge whatever they want for waste collection services and we have been calling on Minister Coveney to freeze them until a more equitable model could be agreed. Fianna Fáíl and Fine Gael opposed those efforts at the time.
‘As a result of the ongoing pressure from us however, the Minister has confirmed that existing customers will remain on their current payment plan. Customers within one hundred metres of a lorry pick up point who used bags will be asked to move to a bin system unless they qualify for a dispensation, but on foot of the pressure put on them, the charges for this have been significantly reduced.
‘Most significant, is that people using bags, who live more than one hundred metres from a pick up point will not now have to pay a standing charge and will be able to get bags at the same price as they did before the new regime was introduced.
‘I welcome the climb down by the Minister and the company at this stage, but this is a temporary stay of execution as an Oireachtas Committee reviews the costs of waste management services. Sinn Féin strongly advocate that these services be returned to public provision where the primary focus Is on reducing, reusing and recycling waste as oppose to making profit for private companies and we will continue to monitor the current system and campaign for change’.
______________________
Fáilte roimh chúlú ar tháillí bruscar – Ó Clochartaigh
Tá fáilte curtha ag Seanadóir Ghaillimh Thiar – Maigh Eo Theas, Trevor Ó Clochartaigh, roimh soiléiriú ón Áire Simon Coveney agus Comhlacht Dramhaíola Bearna a léiríonn laghdú ar na costais a bhí sé i gceist gearradh ar chustaiméiírí faoi chóras nua bainistiú dramhaíola.
Ag labhairt dó inniu deir Seanadóir Shinn Féin:
‘Tá comhfhreagras faighte agam ón Aire agus Comhlacht Bruscar Bhearna go bhfuil na táíllí iomarcacha a bhí le tabhairt isteach ar an 1ú Iúil laghdaithe go mór anois acu.
‘Chur Sinn Féin i gcoinne na socruithe nua bailithe dramhaíola a thug Alan Kelly isteach agus ar lean an rialtas nua leo, chun cead a gcinn a thabhairt do na comhlachtaí bruscar a rogha táillí a ghearradh agus tá muid ag éileamh ar an Aire Coveney na praghasanna a reo go dtí gur féidir córas níos cothroime a oibriú amach. Chuir Fianna Fáil & Fine Gael i gcoinne na h-iarrachtaí seo ag an am.
‘Mar thoradh ar an mbrú leanúnach uainne áfach, tá sé deimhnithe ag an Aire go bhfanfaidh custaiméirí reatha ar na pleananna íocaíochta céanna. Beifear ag iarraidh ar chustaiméirí atá i bhfosiceacht céad méadar ón bpointe a mbaillíonn na trucail an bhruscar agus a úsáídeann málaí, bogadh go dtí córas na mboscaí, muna bhfuil siad i dteideal diolúine. Ach de bharr an bhrú leanúnach arís tá an chostas ar seo íslithe go mór freisin.
‘B’fhéidir an rud is suntasaí ná, nach mbeidh ar dhaoine atá ar chóras na málaí agus atá níos faide ná céad méadar ón bpointe bailithe aon táille seasta a íoc agus beidh fáil acu ar mhálaí ar an gcostas céanna is a bhí go dti seo.
‘Fáiltím roimh an gcúlú seo ón Aire agus ón gcomhlacht, ach níl anseo ach céim sealadach mar go mbeidh coiste Oireachtais ag déanamh athbhreithniú ar chostais bailithe dramhaiola tré chéile. Tá Sinn Féin ag éíleamh go láídir go dtabharfar na córais seo ar ais faoi bhainistíocht poiblí áit gurb é an bunchuspóir ná beím a chur ar laghdú, athchúrsáil agus athúsáid dramhaíola seachas a bheith ag déanamh brabach do chomhlachtaí príobháideacha agus leanfaidh muid leis na h-iarrachtaí chun an córas a athrú chuige sin’
____________________
Note for Editors:
Full text of responses from Minister Coveney and Barna Waste Recycling
Good afternoon Trevor,
Thank you for your email, hopefully I can answer your queries.
In county Galway the use of bags will only be permitted to persons who live more than 100 metres from an existing route. If your constituent’s have their Eircode they can go to the Galway County Council website (see link below) to see if they are exempt from using bins or alternatively they can contact Barna Recycling and we can check on their behalf. The bags would be purchased directly from Barna Recycling
Link to Galway Co Co: http://www.galway.ie/en/services/environment/wasteandlitter/householdwastecollectionpaybyweight/
If your constituents do not fall into this criteria they will need to sign up with a waste provider for a bin service or they can appeal to Galway County Council to continue to use bags (such as no space, disability etc)
Should your constituent’s decide to avail of our bin service, they will be on the Pay by Weight system. There is currently two options available, see below for breakdown.
Pay by Weight – Standard (this option would suit persons who would present their bins nearly every two weeks)
Pay by Weight – Lite (this option would suit persons who would present their bins a handful of times a year such as holiday homes or people who would have little waste to dispose of)
Should you have any queries do not hesitate to contact me.
Regards,
Aideen Barrett,
Barna Recycling
Bruscar Bhearna teo t/a Barna Recycling | Waste Disposal & Recycling |Company Reg Number: 65 19 402 P
Business Customers: Carrowbrowne, Headford Road, Galway Tel: 091 77 16 19 Fax: 091 77 17 35
Domestic Customers: Carrowbrowne, Headford Road, Galway Tel: 0818 287 010 Fax: 091 77 17 35
http://www.barnarecycling.com Ctrl+Click or tap to follow the link">www.barnarecycling.com
Further clarification from Minister Coveney’s office
Further queries from Senator Ó Clochartaigh
Q. What if a customer is over 100m from the collection route i.e. outside the serviced area? They still need bags, but are still being asked to pay a standing charge of between €204-€238 before any bag is taken; they still have to pre-order up to €60 of bags from the company, leave money on deposit on account etc.? This letter does not appear to address their problems at all?
A. Barna Recycling has confirmed that there is no service charge for households using bags, the bags are being provided at the same rate as they were available from the retailers, prior to July 1st. The bags are now being delivered directly to the home of the householder by courier, the cost of which is being borne by Barna Recycling. There is no money being held on the account by Barna Recycling in relation to householders as the bags are dispatched on the day of order/payment.
Q. Those that are being brought in to the company's scheme according to your letter will now be charged €96 as a standing charge, whereas their neighbours who are already on bins will have to pay a €204-238 standing charge. How is that fair?
A. The new service package combines pay by use and pay by weight. It is provided in response to demand from households that were using bags and have small quantities of waste. These households are likely to present their bins for collection on average once per month.
The alternative scheme: paying a service charge of €17 or €19 per month, plus the rate per kilo is still likely be the most economical for those households with larger quantities of waste and recyclables, that present their bins regularly each fortnight.
The standing charge is just one element of the charge. For €204 the household receives more collections per year. For a person on the €96 standing charge, they are also paying €3 per lift charge in addition, but this suits households better who only put out their bins once per month. If a person on this system made 26 presentations of recyclate and waste (52 bins), their per lift charges would amount to €156 (in addition to the €96). So for customers who present more often, the €204 service is more economical, for those who present less waste, the €96 standing charge plus pay per lift is more economical.
Q. The same company is only charging people in Leitrim an €80 standing charge. Why is it substantially different for customers in a very similar terrain in Galway?
A. Barna Recycling has confirmed that the pricing option in Leitrim was made available in response to Leitrim Co. Co. bye-laws which brought pay by weight into force in County Leitrim in 2014. The rates offered at the time were designed anticipating full participation of all households in County Leitrim where households would be required to sign up to a collection service.
Barna Recycling maintains that the level of the service charge would be substantially lower and more affordable in a scenario whereall households are availing of a service. Barna Recycling estimates that only 60% or less of rural households are registered with a service provider.
In response to the request from Minister Coveney, to freeze prices until July 1st 2017, Barna Recycling has agreed to hold the rates in County Leitrim for existing customers at the 2015 rates. The rates will be reviewed in July 2017. The rates for new customers in Leitrim are in line with the rates being offered by Barna Recycling throughout most of the rest of Connacht.
Q. It would still appear to me that quite a number of households who currently use the bags will be paying substantially more even with the proposed changes.
Barna Recycling has confirmed that the maximum weight allowance as specified on the waste bag has always been 12kgs.The cost of this bag is €7.45. Barna recycling has stated that there is no doubt that many customers were in full compliance with this weight limit and these customers are unlikely to pay any more for their waste disposal. But if customers were exceeding the weight allowance, the cost of waste management for these customers is likely to increase as they were not compliant in the first place.
Q. How would the waiver issue work for people with family members who use medical incontinence pads, have a lot of nappies to dispose of etc.?
A. Industry has agreed that if and when pay by weight is introduced, a weight allowance for households with family members who use medical incontinence pads will be provided. The finer details of such a scheme are still being developed. However, under the 'price freeze' agreed, people will pay no more this year than their current rate. There may be people who have moved from bags to bins who also use incontinence products and the Department will continue to engage with industry on this issue.
Speaking today the Sinn Féin Senator says:
‘I have received confirmation from the Minister and Barna Waste Recycling that exorbitant charges which were to be introduced from July 1st, have now been dramatically reduced.
‘Sinn Féin have opposed the new arrangements for waste recycling brought in by Alan Kelly and supported by the current administration, to allow the private waste companies charge whatever they want for waste collection services and we have been calling on Minister Coveney to freeze them until a more equitable model could be agreed. Fianna Fáíl and Fine Gael opposed those efforts at the time.
‘As a result of the ongoing pressure from us however, the Minister has confirmed that existing customers will remain on their current payment plan. Customers within one hundred metres of a lorry pick up point who used bags will be asked to move to a bin system unless they qualify for a dispensation, but on foot of the pressure put on them, the charges for this have been significantly reduced.
‘Most significant, is that people using bags, who live more than one hundred metres from a pick up point will not now have to pay a standing charge and will be able to get bags at the same price as they did before the new regime was introduced.
‘I welcome the climb down by the Minister and the company at this stage, but this is a temporary stay of execution as an Oireachtas Committee reviews the costs of waste management services. Sinn Féin strongly advocate that these services be returned to public provision where the primary focus Is on reducing, reusing and recycling waste as oppose to making profit for private companies and we will continue to monitor the current system and campaign for change’.
______________________
Fáilte roimh chúlú ar tháillí bruscar – Ó Clochartaigh
Tá fáilte curtha ag Seanadóir Ghaillimh Thiar – Maigh Eo Theas, Trevor Ó Clochartaigh, roimh soiléiriú ón Áire Simon Coveney agus Comhlacht Dramhaíola Bearna a léiríonn laghdú ar na costais a bhí sé i gceist gearradh ar chustaiméiírí faoi chóras nua bainistiú dramhaíola.
Ag labhairt dó inniu deir Seanadóir Shinn Féin:
‘Tá comhfhreagras faighte agam ón Aire agus Comhlacht Bruscar Bhearna go bhfuil na táíllí iomarcacha a bhí le tabhairt isteach ar an 1ú Iúil laghdaithe go mór anois acu.
‘Chur Sinn Féin i gcoinne na socruithe nua bailithe dramhaíola a thug Alan Kelly isteach agus ar lean an rialtas nua leo, chun cead a gcinn a thabhairt do na comhlachtaí bruscar a rogha táillí a ghearradh agus tá muid ag éileamh ar an Aire Coveney na praghasanna a reo go dtí gur féidir córas níos cothroime a oibriú amach. Chuir Fianna Fáil & Fine Gael i gcoinne na h-iarrachtaí seo ag an am.
‘Mar thoradh ar an mbrú leanúnach uainne áfach, tá sé deimhnithe ag an Aire go bhfanfaidh custaiméirí reatha ar na pleananna íocaíochta céanna. Beifear ag iarraidh ar chustaiméirí atá i bhfosiceacht céad méadar ón bpointe a mbaillíonn na trucail an bhruscar agus a úsáídeann málaí, bogadh go dtí córas na mboscaí, muna bhfuil siad i dteideal diolúine. Ach de bharr an bhrú leanúnach arís tá an chostas ar seo íslithe go mór freisin.
‘B’fhéidir an rud is suntasaí ná, nach mbeidh ar dhaoine atá ar chóras na málaí agus atá níos faide ná céad méadar ón bpointe bailithe aon táille seasta a íoc agus beidh fáil acu ar mhálaí ar an gcostas céanna is a bhí go dti seo.
‘Fáiltím roimh an gcúlú seo ón Aire agus ón gcomhlacht, ach níl anseo ach céim sealadach mar go mbeidh coiste Oireachtais ag déanamh athbhreithniú ar chostais bailithe dramhaiola tré chéile. Tá Sinn Féin ag éíleamh go láídir go dtabharfar na córais seo ar ais faoi bhainistíocht poiblí áit gurb é an bunchuspóir ná beím a chur ar laghdú, athchúrsáil agus athúsáid dramhaíola seachas a bheith ag déanamh brabach do chomhlachtaí príobháideacha agus leanfaidh muid leis na h-iarrachtaí chun an córas a athrú chuige sin’
____________________
Note for Editors:
Full text of responses from Minister Coveney and Barna Waste Recycling
Good afternoon Trevor,
Thank you for your email, hopefully I can answer your queries.
In county Galway the use of bags will only be permitted to persons who live more than 100 metres from an existing route. If your constituent’s have their Eircode they can go to the Galway County Council website (see link below) to see if they are exempt from using bins or alternatively they can contact Barna Recycling and we can check on their behalf. The bags would be purchased directly from Barna Recycling
Link to Galway Co Co: http://www.galway.ie/en/services/environment/wasteandlitter/householdwastecollectionpaybyweight/
If your constituents do not fall into this criteria they will need to sign up with a waste provider for a bin service or they can appeal to Galway County Council to continue to use bags (such as no space, disability etc)
Should your constituent’s decide to avail of our bin service, they will be on the Pay by Weight system. There is currently two options available, see below for breakdown.
Pay by Weight – Standard (this option would suit persons who would present their bins nearly every two weeks)
- Monthly Service Charge: €17.00
- General waste: @ €0.22 per kg
- Compost (where applicable): @ €0.12
- Recycling: No charge per kg
Pay by Weight – Lite (this option would suit persons who would present their bins a handful of times a year such as holiday homes or people who would have little waste to dispose of)
- Monthly Service Charge: €8.00
- General waste: €3 per lift plus weight charges of €0.22 per kg
- Compost (where applicable): €3 per lift plus weight charges of €0.12 per kg
- Recycling: €3 per lift no weight charges
Should you have any queries do not hesitate to contact me.
Regards,
Aideen Barrett,
Barna Recycling
Bruscar Bhearna teo t/a Barna Recycling | Waste Disposal & Recycling |Company Reg Number: 65 19 402 P
Business Customers: Carrowbrowne, Headford Road, Galway Tel: 091 77 16 19 Fax: 091 77 17 35
Domestic Customers: Carrowbrowne, Headford Road, Galway Tel: 0818 287 010 Fax: 091 77 17 35
http://www.barnarecycling.com Ctrl+Click or tap to follow the link">www.barnarecycling.com
Further clarification from Minister Coveney’s office
Further queries from Senator Ó Clochartaigh
Q. What if a customer is over 100m from the collection route i.e. outside the serviced area? They still need bags, but are still being asked to pay a standing charge of between €204-€238 before any bag is taken; they still have to pre-order up to €60 of bags from the company, leave money on deposit on account etc.? This letter does not appear to address their problems at all?
A. Barna Recycling has confirmed that there is no service charge for households using bags, the bags are being provided at the same rate as they were available from the retailers, prior to July 1st. The bags are now being delivered directly to the home of the householder by courier, the cost of which is being borne by Barna Recycling. There is no money being held on the account by Barna Recycling in relation to householders as the bags are dispatched on the day of order/payment.
Q. Those that are being brought in to the company's scheme according to your letter will now be charged €96 as a standing charge, whereas their neighbours who are already on bins will have to pay a €204-238 standing charge. How is that fair?
A. The new service package combines pay by use and pay by weight. It is provided in response to demand from households that were using bags and have small quantities of waste. These households are likely to present their bins for collection on average once per month.
The alternative scheme: paying a service charge of €17 or €19 per month, plus the rate per kilo is still likely be the most economical for those households with larger quantities of waste and recyclables, that present their bins regularly each fortnight.
The standing charge is just one element of the charge. For €204 the household receives more collections per year. For a person on the €96 standing charge, they are also paying €3 per lift charge in addition, but this suits households better who only put out their bins once per month. If a person on this system made 26 presentations of recyclate and waste (52 bins), their per lift charges would amount to €156 (in addition to the €96). So for customers who present more often, the €204 service is more economical, for those who present less waste, the €96 standing charge plus pay per lift is more economical.
Q. The same company is only charging people in Leitrim an €80 standing charge. Why is it substantially different for customers in a very similar terrain in Galway?
A. Barna Recycling has confirmed that the pricing option in Leitrim was made available in response to Leitrim Co. Co. bye-laws which brought pay by weight into force in County Leitrim in 2014. The rates offered at the time were designed anticipating full participation of all households in County Leitrim where households would be required to sign up to a collection service.
Barna Recycling maintains that the level of the service charge would be substantially lower and more affordable in a scenario whereall households are availing of a service. Barna Recycling estimates that only 60% or less of rural households are registered with a service provider.
In response to the request from Minister Coveney, to freeze prices until July 1st 2017, Barna Recycling has agreed to hold the rates in County Leitrim for existing customers at the 2015 rates. The rates will be reviewed in July 2017. The rates for new customers in Leitrim are in line with the rates being offered by Barna Recycling throughout most of the rest of Connacht.
Q. It would still appear to me that quite a number of households who currently use the bags will be paying substantially more even with the proposed changes.
Barna Recycling has confirmed that the maximum weight allowance as specified on the waste bag has always been 12kgs.The cost of this bag is €7.45. Barna recycling has stated that there is no doubt that many customers were in full compliance with this weight limit and these customers are unlikely to pay any more for their waste disposal. But if customers were exceeding the weight allowance, the cost of waste management for these customers is likely to increase as they were not compliant in the first place.
Q. How would the waiver issue work for people with family members who use medical incontinence pads, have a lot of nappies to dispose of etc.?
A. Industry has agreed that if and when pay by weight is introduced, a weight allowance for households with family members who use medical incontinence pads will be provided. The finer details of such a scheme are still being developed. However, under the 'price freeze' agreed, people will pay no more this year than their current rate. There may be people who have moved from bags to bins who also use incontinence products and the Department will continue to engage with industry on this issue.
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