I raise with the Taoiseach the latest debacle surrounding bin charges. Yesterday, the Cabinet agreed a scheme that will bring to an end the flat rate charge and introduce a system that will undoubtedly result in householders paying much more in waste collection charges. This move is a telling demonstration of the political gimmick that is new politics, which is nothing but the same old story.

The new model announced by the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Deputy Denis Naughten, allows private operators the scope to set exorbitant charges for waste collection. It will allow them to charge whatever they like for what is an essential service. Given that this change will not even come before the Dáil, we truly have arrived at destination privatisation. Many households will not be able to afford these charges. The charging regime takes no account of income or ability to pay. Families know they will face additional charges. The families to whom the Taoiseach referred who are struggling to make ends meet will discover in due course how much more they will have to pay. Citizens struggling with the cost of living crises in mortgages, rents, child care, water charges, the property tax and car insurance will be hit once again.

The new charging model will also impact on small businesses and the farming community, with the prospect of illegal dumping rising across the State. Nowhere within the new model has the Government provided meaningful alleviation measures for the most vulnerable, including those with medical conditions, large families and low-income households. The token gesture of a €75 annual grant for those with lifelong or long-term medical incontinence is absolutely pathetic and does not even amount to €1.50 per week. Is the Taoiseach for real?

The Government is opening the gates for private operators to make massive profits without protecting citizens, consumers or families. It is doing this in the most cynical manner possible. It is ramming this charge through at the 11th hour of the Dáil session in the hope of minimising political opposition. When officials from the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment met my colleague, Deputy Brian Stanley, yesterday they did not mention this scheme, yet it was announced 90 minutes later. I understand the same officials met the Government's friends in Fianna Fáil last week on the issue of waste. I wonder if they informed Fianna Fáil of this new scheme in advance. I notice this morning there has not been a peep on this topic from the soldiers of destiny.

Sinn Féin must not listen to "Today with Seán O'Rourke".

Will the Taoiseach wash his hands and walk away from this mess? What will he do for people who cannot afford these additional charges and have been left to the whim of private operators?

There is nothing being rushed through at the 11th hour and there is nothing here that should come as much of a surprise. This has been coming for more than a year when a decision was made to enter into an agreement voluntarily with the 67 waste collection providers to suspend charges for a period. What this is essentially about is the environment and the need to reduce waste and encourage recycling, composting and reuse. As we all know, the State is running out of landfill capacity and the amount of rubbish going to landfill continues to rise. The Minister had to invoke emergency measures last year because of the problems we face with landfill capacity. What we have to do is reduce waste and encourage recycling, composting and reuse. The best way to do this is not to have a system of flat rates where one pays the same amount regardless of how much one throws away. That system will end and the all-in flat rate charging for household waste will start to be phased out, not immediately but as customers' contracts expire or when new contracts are entered into.

The framework will give waste collectors flexibility to offer or introduce a range of incentivised pricing options that encourage householders to reduce or separate their waste, while choosing the service price offering that best suits their circumstances and allows them to manage their costs. There will be many different options, including combinations of standing charges, per lift and per kilogram charges, weight bands and weight allowances. Approximately half of households are already on these types of offerings, which means people in at least half the country should be familiar with this system because it has been operating in their areas for some time.

It is the case that some people will face a rise in bills. This will often be where private providers are providing a service below cost. As the Deputy knows, providing a service below cost is not sustainable. Even if responsibility for waste collection were returned to local authorities, they would not be able to provide a service below cost and, in fact, the increase would be potentially even higher in such circumstances given the associated costs.

This measure makes sense for all the obvious environmental reasons. If people pay a flat fee, they do not have any incentive to reduce the amount of rubbish they throw away, produce, recycle, compost or reuse. It is increasingly important that we put the environment first when it comes to these issues.

I should probably thank the Taoiseach for his open and shut commitment to market forces and unapologetic presentation of the privatised model. I am astonished by his absolute lack of empathy or understanding for many citizens who, having heard this news, are now panicked and fearful of the charges they will face. The Taoiseach seems to live in another place where inability to pay does not even come onto his radar. This new scheme is designed purely and simply to suit the operators. The option as to what type of scheme will be used falls to the operator rather than the household or consumer.

The Taoiseach openly stated he will do nothing to mitigate the costs for people who cannot afford to pay or to support low-income households and households with large numbers of young children. He seems to be happy to wash his hands and walk away from that. I put it to him again that this is the wrong approach to take. I regard it as disgraceful that he would be so indifferent to the experiences of so many people and families.

Having set out from his point of view the strengths of this system, will the Taoiseach tell me and our citizens what the Government will do to support and protect low-income families and large families that are fearful of yet another bill?

First, and as I have mentioned, roughly 50% of households in the State already pay for their waste collection by systems such as this, so I do not think that people should be panicked and fearful. I am sure that if people are panicked and fearful, Sinn Féin will not try to exploit that panic and fear.

The Government has done a good job of that itself. None of us needs to.

What Sinn Féin will do will be the responsible thing and give people proper information-----

I will put them on to the Taoiseach's office.

-----and not try to exploit their-----

I will send them up to Blanchardstown. It is only a stone's throw from Cabra.

Deputies, the Taoiseach has been asked a question. Can we let him answer?

I am just obliging him. I will direct people to Blanchardstown.

Sinn Féin is good at throwing stones all right.

Can we let him answer, please?

There was a time when one would be worried about something else being thrown by Sinn Féin.

As I said, I am confident that Sinn Féin and no other politicians in the House will try to exploit panic or fear. They will of course do the right thing and give people accurate information, reassure them and explain to them why this system is being introduced nationwide. It already applies in roughly half the country.

In terms of mitigation, the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Deputy Naughten, has announced already that there will be an annual support of €75 paid to people with lifetime or long-term medical conditions that cause them to have to produce additional waste, particularly when it comes to incontinence sheets and pads and so on. He has already announced that that has been put in place.

There is also going to be an additional fund for local authorities to crack down on illegal dumping, which is something that causes enormous and understandable concern for many different communities. Separate to that, there is going to be an education and information campaign and officers throughout the country to explain to people-----

Some people will-----

-----and assist them in doing what they need to do to reduce their bills, which are those obvious things to reduce the amount of waste that people produce, such as recycling as much as they can and reusing compost. In addition to that, there is going to be a requirement that all waste collectors introduce organic brown bins to all communities nationwide with a population of more than 500 people, thus allowing more and more households to divert waste away from landfill and into compost.