Sir, – The Government is digging a hole for itself if it does not enforce regulation of the waste disposal industry. I emphasise regulation and not registration. There are some 70 companies registered with the National Waste Collection Permit Office but five of the largest seven are unlimited companies with no obligation to file audited accounts with the Companies Registration Office (CRO). Indeed the owners do avail of the protection of limited liability by having the Irish unlimited companies owned by limited companies in the Isle of Man or Jersey, where there is no obligation to file accounts. In other words, these five companies enjoy limited liability without the obligation to file accounts.
The Government seems to think that competition between these companies will solve the problem. Why should the companies compete on price when they can enjoy “rich pickings” by agreeing not to compete on price? Maybe on other matters but not on price.
The left is correct. No waste collection permits should be issued without full regulation and only to companies registered as limited liability companies with an obligation to file audited accounts in the CRO. Then we have some opportunity to assess their profitability; unless, of course, they start paying royalties out to sister companies in low-tax jurisdictions and we end up back to square one. – Yours, etc,
DAVID McCABE,
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Blackrock, Co Dublin.