Almost 20 000 More Householders in South Dublin Will Have to Pay Bin Charges from April - Unless Government Introduce National Bin Waiver System
Issued : Tuesday 10 January, 2012
"In response to my Question at the December Council Meeting the Manager informed me that in 2011, 18 800 households in South Dublin were in receipt of household bin waivers, and so were entitled to a certain number of free black and brown bin collections every quarter. Under the terms of the transfer of its Bin Collection system to Greyhound Waste, the waiver system for all these households will end in April. I am calling on the Government to introduce the promised National Waiver System as soon as possible, preferably before April" says Cllr Tuffy
“For almost a decade South Dublin County Council operated a Waiver System for lower income household availing of the Council’s domestic refuse collection. A feature of the Council operated system was that there was no flat charge. When the Country Manager decided to end the bin collection service operated by the Council last year, a decision in which elected councillors have no role, the terms of the transfer of the Council’s service to Greyhound Waste included Greyhound’s agreement to honour existing Bin Waivers until April 2012. So the existing availability of waivers to lower income households, which had been financed by the Council(cost in 2011 €2.7 million), and their entitlement to a certain number of free black and brown bin lifts will end in April. In addition, lower income households which had a waiver will have to pay a fixed charge of €60 if they wish to continue with Greyhound.”
“ Figures released to me by the Manager in December, show that in 2011, 18 800 households, about 1 in every four households in the County, were getting bin waivers. In the Lucan Electoral Area, almost 3000 households have a waiver( 1926 in Lucan and 990 in Palmerstown); in the Clondalkin Electoral Area 4500 households ( 4223, in Clondalkin itself and the balance of almost 300 in Rathcoole and Newcastle).”
“ As a result of this I estimate that in the County 19 000 households will from April on be faced with an additional annual charge on their household income of approximately €150 each. This is greater than the new Household Charge of €100, which of course will have to be paid by at least half of those who have been getting Bin Waivers”, says Cllr Tuffy
“ Because of this I have tabled a Motion for the monthly Council meeting of 16th January, calling on the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government to publish and implement, as soon as possible, and certainly during this year, a National Waiver System providing for a certain minimum level of household bin collections for lower income households throughout the country. The large majority of low income households will still have to pay the Household Charge, and in the interest of equity I believe they should get some help with their waste management costs. The Programme for Government , on page 61,includes an unambiguous commitment to a waiver system; with the introduction of the Household Charge, and the discontinuation of bin waiver schemes in South Dublin and other parts of greater Dublin, I am calling on Minister Hogan to quickly implement the waiver scheme promised by the Government”
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Note: Manager’s Reply giving data for all of South Dublin, including Tallaght attached
For further information contact Eamon at 086 3863173.
Cllr 
