Sinn Fein and the Green Party have hit out at the Environment Minister over the new charging structure for waste collection.

Both parties claim Minister Alan Kelly's decision will have a negative impact on recycling.

Green Party Spokesperson for the Environment, Councillor Malcolm Noonan, said: "In one stroke of a pen Minister Kelly is about to undermine all the community goodwill towards recycling in Ireland. For recycling to succeed it needs to be free to the public. His actions favour the hungry incinerators by eroding the need for people to segregate waste and recyclables.

"This is completely at odds with all EU principles of reduction of waste and diversion from landfill or incineration. We need to be encouraging even more recycling, not financially penalising people for disposing of waste responsibly."

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Dublin South West Sinn Féin TD, Seán Crowe, said: "The news of another tax from this government will bring a collective groan right across the country.

"Not satisfied with lumbering people with the hated water charges and regressive taxes like the property charge, Minister Alan Kelly is now trying in the dying days of his administration, to fast track another financial burden on hard pressed families. His far fetched claims that this will work out cheaper for households will fool no one.

"Many of us at Council level and in Leinster House argued that the privatisation of waste collection would not only lead to a loss of jobs and a poorer service, but it would also lead inevitably to an increase in service charges.

"We know to our cost that waste charges have increased dramatically, and now we are being told that individuals and families will be forced to pay more.

"Irish household's come out positively when it comes recycling so it is absolute madness to stunt that progress by introducing measures that penalise, rather than reward, those who go out of their way to recycle.

"Instead of encouraging and promoting, this proposal will discourage more and more people away from recycling reusable items."

(CD)