Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 February 2026
234. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the body that sets the standards for public waste collection companies; if his Department has a role in regulating fees that companies charge; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14267/26]
View answerWaste collection permitting is a statutory function of local authorities under the Waste Management Act. The National Waste Collection Permit Office (NWCPO) in Offaly County Council is the Nominated Authority responsible for the issuing of waste collection permits on behalf of all local authorities.
All waste collection companies are required to hold a waste collection permit in order to collect waste. A standard set of conditions are attached to the permits, which are available to view at nwcpo.ie, and include matters such as minimum frequency for collections, requirement to implement a charging system which incentivises source segregation of waste, a requirement to provide, at a minimum, a collection service for biowaste, recycling and residual waste, etc
Individual local authorities are responsible for the enforcement of waste legislation and the waste collection permit conditions. Under section 60(3) of the Waste Management Act, the Minister is precluded from exercising any power or control, in particular circumstance, over the statutory functions of a local authority.
The waste collection market is serviced by private companies, where the terms and conditions of contracts, including pricing plans, are a matter between those companies and their customer, subject to compliance with their waste collection permit and all applicable legislation, including contract and consumer legislation. The Department has no role in setting prices in a private market.
