Minister for the Environment, Roscommon based Denis Naughten, says he is closely monitoring the prices being charged by private waste operators as a new system of bin charging to domestic customers is being introduced.

The Minister says the changes are being introduced to encourage consumers to move away from throwing all their waste into the black bin, and instead to recycle and use alternative more environmentally friendly means of dealing with household waste.

At present too much waste from black bins is being sent to landfill sites, and the sites are quickly running out of capacity.

Minister Naughten told Midwest News that he will have a report later this week on his desk on the impact of the new system on consumers already affected by it.