Newly elected Sinn Féin Senator Maria McCormack has slammed the decision to sell off Bord Na Móna Recycling.
On Friday, Bord na Móna said it had reached an agreement to sell its recycling business to KWD Recycling, subject to regulatory approval.
The company said that while the operation will no longer be part of the Bord na Móna group, employees will continue to work for the recycling business with no change to their contractual terms and conditions of employment on handover.
SIPTU has hit out and the decision and so too has the Portlaoise Senator McCormack.
She argued that we needed more public provision of waste collection rather than further privatisation of the unregulated market, and that the government must intervene to protect jobs in Laois.
Senator McCormack said: “Oireachtas members were this week informed that Bord Na Móna was to sell off its recycling arm to KWD recycling.
“This is a shocking but unsurprising move from Bord na Móna, and a huge concern for workers in Laois.
“Over the last few years we have seen further entrenchment of the privatisation of our waste management system.
“At the same time, services are declining while prices shoot up.
“And the scourge of illegal dumping continues to plague communities up and own the country.
“All over Europe, there has been a move to bring the bins back under public control whereby local authorities take responsibility. Ireland should follow suit.
“Just last week we learned that bin charges were due for yet another price hike. These prices go way above the rate of inflation. For example, the recycling per-life charge is going up by 25 percent – 18 times the rate of inflation.
“The competition authority has argued that this is a highly unregulated and secretive sector.
“These problems will only get worse with further privatisation.
“I am calling on the government to intervene to stop this sell-off, and to protect jobs at Bord Na Móna.”
Independent TD Brian Stanley has also called for the sale to be halted.
He said: “The proposed sale of Bord Na Mona recycling business, including the Kyletalesha facility, Portlaoise, being sold off to a private company, must be halted.
“If the sale were to go ahead, it would mean the transfer of this large recycling and waste recovery business being going from public ownership and into the hands of an investor.
“This creates a whole new situation for both the local workforce and customers, of which I am one.
“So, while the workforce has been told that their current terms and conditions will be maintained, this cannot be guaranteed into the future under a new private company.
“I am making the case to the Minister for Energy and the Environment, Darragh O’Brien, that he should use his powers as a single shareholder on behalf of the public, to halt this sale and retain this key industry in public ownership and control.”
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