Price stability means nothing to people with disabilities without waiver
Labour TD Seán Sherlock has dismissed the latest price monitoring group report as worthless as long as the Government continues to blame GDPR rather than support people with disabilities and incontinence issues with a bin waiver scheme as promised over 3 years ago.
Deputy Sherlock said:
“We have had Minister after Minister give excuse after excuse for not introducing this waiver scheme that is desperately needed by families and individuals with incontinence and other personal health problems. People are sick and tired of GDPR being used by Official Ireland as an excuse to not take action on issues. GDPR was not designed to further complicate people’s lives but reply after reply from different Minister gives us a vague reason for the delays. If the Government really wanted to help people, they would introduce this waiver scheme today.”
“People with disabilities deserve better.”
ENDS
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For Written Answer on : 23/07/2019
Question Number(s): 2246,2256 Question Reference(s): 33080/19, 33241/19
Department: Communications, Climate Action and Environment
Asked by: Sean Sherlock T.D.
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QUESTION
[Ref No.: 33080/19]
* To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the date he will put on resolving GDPR issues to introduce and implement the bin waiver scheme for persons with incontinence and disability matters. – Sean Sherlock.
* For WRITTEN answer on Tuesday, 23rd July, 2019.
(2124 Received on 16th July, 2019.)
REPLY
I propose to take Question Nos. 2246 and 2256 together.
Since mid-2017, a range of charging options have been operated, which encourage householders to reduce and separate their waste, and provides flexibility to waste collectors to develop various service-price offerings that suit different household circumstances. Mandatory per kilogramme ‘pay by weight’ charging was not introduced. A Price Monitoring Group (PMG) was established in mid-2017 to monitor the on-going cost of residential waste collection to homeowners across Ireland as the ‘flat-rate structure’ was being phased out. While fluctuations in prices and service offerings have been observed, the overall trend has been relative price stability.
My Department has engaged with relevant stakeholders, including representative organisations and public bodies, in an effort to see how best to provide a financial support to persons with long-term incontinence with respect to the disposal of medical incontinence wear.
Notwithstanding the complex issues at play, which are understandable given the sensitive nature of the medical data in question, I would like assure the Deputies that I continue to be committed to addressing this issue.