Private waste companies have agreed to a 12-month freeze on current bin charge rates.

The Irish Waste Management Association (IWMA) has approved a proposal to postpone planned hikes in fees that were due to come into effect next month.

The move means that households disposing the same quantities of waste will not face any additional costs during the first year of the new pay-by-weight system.

Under the agreement, existing charges will be frozen from June 20th, 2016, to July 1st, 2017.

The IWMA said in a statement that waste companies will provide a cost comparison during this period to customers showing the amount of waste they are disposing, their current costs and the equivalent pay-by-weight costs.

While Taoiseach Enda Kenny has confirmed that the Government will give households the option of moving to a pay-by-weight system from January onwards.

The Department of Environment is expected to simultaneously roll out an informative awareness campaign to promote the new system.

This, according to the group, will allow households to "see how recycling more can reduce their annual charges".

Waste contractors who have signed up to the agreement will also provide a weight allowance to HSE patients with incontinence to reduce their fees, the IMWA said.  

The group said its members are "committed to an arrangement whereby the additional weight attributed to non-infancy incontinence wear will be collected free of charge".

City Bin, which is not a member of the IMWA, said it welcomed the proposal and agreed with the price freeze. 

It is unclear at this point whether Greyhound, which is no longer part of the association, will also keep rates at their current levels. 

The company said in a statement that it "supports the new measures for the waste industry as outlined by the government".

The IWMA represents 41 waste management operators, including Thorntons, Oxigen and Greenstar. 

The group said this morning that its member companies "remain committed to supporting government policy in the introduction of pay-by-weight eight waste collection services".  

"Responsible waste operators have made the necessary investment to meet their obligations under the government-introduced regulations and the industry will continue to work with government to ensure its successful introduction," it said.

Minister Coveney is expected to announce details of the agreement at 4pm today.