Sinn Féin spokesperson on Climate Action and the Environment, Darren O’Rourke TD, has slammed the government for introducing a new waste levy on the construction sector without the necessary infrastructure in place to facilitate this type of transition.

He says this approach will increase costs, lead to illegal dumping and may place additional pressure on both the affordability and supply of housing.

Commenting on the government’s decision to withdraw the exemption on construction and demolition (C&D) waste from both the landfill and waste recovery levies from September 1st, the Meath East TD said:

“Yet again, we have another completely short-sighted move from Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Greens. Amid a raging housing and homelessness crisis, it is totally irresponsible to introduce measures that have the potential to make building or buying a home even more difficult.

“First, by placing additional burdens on the construction industry, it has the potential to stunt any progress that could be made on increasing supply. The reality is we need to be building more houses, and fast. The government should not be placing any additional barriers to increasing supply. There are 14,000 people experiencing homelessness in the state, with many more at risk especially if supply is not increased urgently.

“Second, the introduction of a measure which will inevitably lead to powerful upward pressure on house prices is an irresponsible move by this government. After all it is not just a supply crisis but an affordability crisis. An increasing number of people simply cannot afford to purchase a home and are stuck in an endless cycle of renting in an increasingly expensive market. Adding a minimum of €5,000 to the cost of a house is a ludicrous move to make in the middle of a housing crisis.

“This is not to say we should underplay the impact of C&D emissions. After all, C&D waste is Ireland’s fastest growing waste stream, accounting for over half of the total waste currently being generated in Ireland with only 8% being recycled or reused. It is therefore imperative that industry steps up and plays their part to improve the circularity of their working practices by increasing the re-use and recycling of C&D materials.

“Things absolutely cannot continue as they have been.

“According to the government, the purpose of removing this exemption for C&D waste is to incentivise the construction industry to reduce the amount of C&D waste it currently sends to waste recovery or disposal and to, instead, reuse the material.

“In order for this to happen though, proper infrastructure needs to be in place. And as it stands, the government has completely failed in this regard. Despite the fact that the North is an industry leader when it comes to C&D recycling, in the South we are laggards.

“For example, the criteria for recycled aggregates were only published in November by the EPA. While it helps move away from the previous approach of case-by-case assessments of applications (which massively slowed things down), the fact is that we do not have anywhere near enough suitable recycling facilities in the South. This means many contractors have to go to the North to recycle cement and timber. Without the necessary pathways, the government’s plan amounts to a punitive cliff-edge.

“This is yet another example of their willingness to introduce a new measure without any idea about how it is going to work, or more worryingly, the unintended consequences that it might have. And in this case, this kite-flying from Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Greens has the potential to make the biggest problem that the state faces worse.

“While the construction industry absolutely must play their part in the transition to net zero, the government must ensure that the necessary infrastructure is in place to facilitate this transition. This includes learning from best practice in the North.”