The phasing out of flat-rate bin charges will not take effect until September, and not 1 July, when a 12-month price freeze agreed with the waste industry last year expires.

A ban on fixed-price waste collection is being introduced by the Government to encourage recycling and reduce the amount of rubbish.

On Tuesday, the Government announced that it is introducing a ban on fixed-price waste collection to encourage recycling and reduce the amount of rubbish.

It is to replace the controversial plan for a pay-by-weight system shelved by the Government last year.

However, the minister’s spokesperson said this afternoon that the department first has to prepare a circular over the next couple of weeks setting out the policy change.

Then the National Waste Collection Permit Office, the NWCPO, will review the new policy before writing to the waste companies. 

Time will also be given to these companies to change their administrative systems and to notify customers.

"This process would probably fall into September. It is at this point that the regulatory flat-rate phase-out on expiring contract or new contracts would take effect," the spokesperson said.

Thereafter, as people’s contracts expire over the subsequent 12 months, a flat-rate service will no longer be offered.

The Tánaiste confirmed in the Dáil earlier that the changes will come into force in the autumn. 

Frances Fitzgerald said they were important changes and allowed all households play their part.

Both Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin are to table private members motions in the Dáil next week in response to the Government's planned changes to waste collection.

The plan will allow waste companies to introduce a range of usage charges.

Fianna Fáil will use its private members time next week to introduce a motion calling on the Government to freeze bin charges until an industry regulator is in place.

At its Parliamentary Party meeting last night, TDs and Senators heard that the party wants a regulator who will be able to set upper price limits for waste disposal firms. The party believes this would provide greater competition in the market.

Sinn Féin also published a motion calling on the Government to row back on its plan. It says that the move will adversely affect large families, people with medical conditions and low income households.

The party's environment spokesperson Brian Stanley said: "The Government's present position of simply leaving those people to the mercy of commercial operator is unacceptable."

Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure Reform Paschal Donohoe has said he hopes that the debate on bin charges changes.

Mr Donohoe said that the people who are trying to stop the private industry having anything to do with waste collection are the same people who originally made it impossible for local authorities to be able to afford to pick up waste.

He said they did this by opposing local authorities charging rates to allow waste collection to be affordable.

That, he said, is one of the reasons why no local authority now picks up waste.

Ms Fitzgerald also told the Dáil that people will be able to contact their waste disposal provider during the summer months to see what payment options are available.

She said that households then have to choose a new payment plan if their current contract expires between autumn of this year and autumn 2018.