Opposition TDs have been accused of "crocodile tears" after their latest complaints about the proposed bin charges.
It's after People Before Profit demanded clarity on what charges might kick in - only to be criticised for missing a Dáil vote on them earlier this week.
Brid Smith told the Dáil about a letter to customers from Panda - who say they will now have the power to inspect bins and charge households €25 for mixing rubbish incorrectly.
People Before Profit TD Bríd Smith
She said the government was full of tough talk but no action:
"Awarding people who treat the community and the environment well with this nonsense from Panda, the cartels being allowed to do what they like," she said.
"And they have already said they do not fear a regulator."
The plans for a watchdog, and a possible regulator, were agreed by the Dáil on Tuesday night after a deal between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil.
Minister Richard Bruton pointed out that TDs like Smith were missing at the time:
"You were marked absent when decisions were being made, when the position that was going to be introduced was being explained so it is pretty crocodile tears to be shedding now when these decisions are being taken when you don't bother to do your responsibility and come in and deal with these issues.
Smith said that, as a first-time TD, she mistakenly thought that a vote on the issue wouldn't happen until today.
She said councils should take back bin collections - and denied the new regime would encourage households to recycle.
"Fly-tipping has been given the go-ahead by this system and by the government and as the prices increase there will be more and more fly-tipping," she said.
But staying in attack mode, Richard Bruton said left-wing TDs were the reason councils couldn't take the job back.
Parties like your own told people not to pay, refused to allow increases in charges that would have allowed this to remain as a service in the public arena but you made conscious decisions to destroy that possibility," he said.
"We are dealing with the consequences of parties like your own driving change in policy."
Smith says a series of protests will be held this weekend to maintain pressure on the government.
