1063. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if he is aware of concerns relating to recent significant household waste collection price increases by a provider (details supplied); if he plans to address this issue; the data that is held on the number of active operators and market share, by area, in tabular form; if the CCPC has reviewed pricing conduct or market concentration in the sector in recent years; if he will call for clearer advance notice periods, price caps tied to justifiable cost increases, or a public registry of collection charges, by area to enable comparison; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62729/26]

The Waste Management Act 1996, which provides the legislative framework for waste collection in Ireland, does not fall within the remit of my Department. As household waste collection services are provided by private operators, decisions regarding service charges and pricing structures are generally matters for the companies concerned, subject to applicable competition and consumer protection law. Information on authorised waste collection permit holders is publicly available from the National Waste Collection Permit Office.

While responsibility for the regulation of the waste collection sector does not rest with my Department, my Department has a role in relation to competition and consumer protection law. The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC), which is independent in the performance of its statutory functions, is responsible for the enforcement of those laws.

High prices, of themselves, do not necessarily indicate a breach of competition law. In general, traders in Ireland are free to set their own prices, provided they do so in compliance with applicable competition and consumer protection legislation. The CCPC's role is to investigate potential anti-competitive agreements and the abuse of a dominant position where evidence of such conduct arises.

In 2018, the CCPC published a study of the household waste collection sector and made a number of recommendations. More recently, the CCPC reviewed the acquisition of The City Bin Co. by Thornton's Recycling and the acquisition of Bord na Móna Recycling by KWD. Both transactions were cleared subject to remedies, including customer divestments, in order to protect competition in the affected areas.

In relation to consumer protection law, contract terms must satisfy the requirements of fairness and transparency under the Consumer Rights Act 2022. The CCPC has said that it is unaware of a generally applicable statutory minimum notice period for household waste collection price increases. Whether sufficient notice has been provided will depend on the circumstances of the case and the terms of the relevant contract.

Matters such as statutory notice periods and a public register of household waste collection charges relate primarily to the regulation of the household waste collection sector and do not fall within my Department's remit.

I would encourage any individual who has concerns about breaches of competition or consumer protection law to contact the CCPC directly on ask@ccpc.ie.