Unworkable bin charge system a health hazard

Uncollected refuse bags pile up just 500 metres from Dublin's Mater Hospital

Sinn FÉin Dublin City Councillor Daithí Doolan has called on City Management to ensure that all household rubbish in the Dublin City Council area is collected as a matter of urgency. The Sinn Féin councillor's call comes in the wake of the first week of the Council's new 'pay-by-use refuse' collection scheme, which has seen bags of uncollected rubbish piling up on a number of Dublin streets.

The City Council this week implemented a policy of non-collection of household waste in rubbish bags that do not have prepaid tags attached. However, many householders across Dublin have been unable to buy the prepaid tags anywhere in their local area and hundreds of people entitled to waivers under the scheme have not received their free tags.

Potentially dangerous

Doolan said: "The situation we see today with rubbish piling up on Dublin streets amounts to a potentially dangerous health and safety problem and it is being directly caused by the policy of the City Council. In this context, I note that High Court Judge Lyndsey ruled before Christmas that Dublin City Council had illegally imposed bin charges in the 2001 to 2002 period, against the City Council's own criteria. This is the backdrop of City Management's reckless pursuit of imposing a deeply unpopular and unworkable system.

Doolan pointed out that under the new system, both those people who have on principle refused to pay bin charges and those who have attempted to pay the charges and abide by the system are being penalised.

"This is further proof that this system of waste management is unjust and unworkable. I am calling on City management to ensure the collection of all household rubbish, regardless of tags."