International Review of Waste Management Policy - Department of ...

7.0 Pay-By-Use - Ireland
7.1 Outline of Policy
Pay-By-Use (PBU) charging for domestic waste collection was first outlined in a policy
context in a Circular Letter from the Department of the Environment, Heritage and
Local Government (DoEHLG) in 2004, Circular WIR/09/04, sent to all Directors of
Service in all local authorities. 137 The Circular letter gave substance to the Minister’s
announcement of 2004. The Circular refers to the Minister’s announcement,
103
“Made last March (2004), in which he set 1 January 2005 as the date for the
completion, nationally, of the changeover to the weight or volume based
charging systems for the collection of waste.”
It goes on to say:
“In order to get a firm indication on developments, I would appreciate if you
would forward a note indicating progress made to date on achieving the 1 Jan
target, and the expected position at 1 January 2005 in so far as collectors in
your functional area of responsibility are concerned”
“Where a final pay-by-use service is not likely to be in place by 1 January
2005, it is important that an interim solution be in place by that deadline.
Where this is the case, please give details of the interim solution and indicate
the likely date for final implementation of the service”.
Circular WIR/09/04 indicates that Local Authorities are expected to have received
information for their functional area on the ways in which PBU would be implemented
from all waste collectors.
In addition to the deadline set for the introduction of PBU ordered by the Minister and
in the Circular, legislation was introduced in 2007 with regard to charging for the
collection of household waste collection. The Waste Management (Collection Permit)
Regulations, 2007 (SI No. 820 of 2007), do not specifically mention pay by use
systems in terms of volume based or weight based collection charging, but refer more
generally to the ‘polluter pays principle’. Sub-article 20 (2), part (h) states:
“Notwithstanding the provisions of sub-article (1), the nominated authority
shall attach to each waste collection permit granted by it, conditions requiring
the permit holder to” – (h) “apply charges for household waste collection with
respect to the polluter pays principle”.
It may be noted that Sub-article 20 (3), part (c) states:
“The nominated authority may attach to each collection permit that may be
granted by it” – (c) “conditions to encourage sound environmental
137 Circular WIR/09/04 RE: Weight/Volume related Waste Charging sent to the Director of Services in
all local authorities on the 11 Sep 2004.
International Review of Waste Policy: Annexes