The Minister for Communications, Energy and Climate Change is being urged to immediately tackle the waste recycling industry in Ireland.

Labour Spokesperson on Energy, Seán Sherlock, made the call to Minister Denis Naughten following reports 160 containers were returned to Ireland from China because of contamination.

Deputy Sherlock said: "Instead of dealing with it in 2017, it has decided to defer and defer again. All the while we have recycling apartheid throughout the country, as one section of consumers are locked into a monopoly paying high rates of waste fees to contractors outside of the agreement and the other section of consumers able to cherrypick their recycling habits.

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"We have families with serious medical conditions paying over and above the market rate because they live in an area that is served by only one contractor who decided not to sign up to the waiver. Where is the equality in that?"

Deputy Sherlock called on Minister Naughten to outline exactly what his Department intends to do on the waste issue, as inaction will lead to more situations where contaminated waste is returned to the country.

(CD)