IMPACT Releases

IMPACT expresses concern about 20,000 Dublin waste collection waiver applicants

IMPACT trade union tonight (Monday November 21^st) welcomed a belated decision by the management of Dublin City Council to delay the local authority’s exit from domestic and commercial waste collection until January 16^th 2012. However, the union has raised concerns over the fact that up to 20,000 people have not had application for waivers processed.  

IMPACT national secretary Peter Nolan said that while the council's short delay to exit the service was welcome, it would not bring any good news to Dublin city businesses and householders. “There are 37,000 households in Dublin who currently enjoy a waiver from charges. They receive a top quality door-to-door waste collection service. Our experience is that this will disappear over time if Dublin City Council exits the service” he said.

IMPACT represents over 100 of the 159 staff affected by the proposed exit from waste collection, which was due to take place from December 5^th. 

Mr. Nolan added, "We have a genuine fear that decisions about an additional 20,000 applications are not being taken in order to reduce the costs to private companies keen to take over the waste collection service. Experience has shown that the cost of private collection to householders will increase once the market has been secured. This is bad news for hard pressed businesses and families in the Dublin area.

Mr Nolan said that there are long term social and environmental issues at stake in the council’s decision. “In time, as costs rise, it could lead to an increase in illegal dumping as the increasing costs of private collection become prohibitive. If that were to happen, we are looking at very serious social and environmental consequences, all of which will come at a cost.”

IMPACT called on Dublin City Council to continue the domestic and commercial waste collection service until the government honoured its commitment to introduce competitive tendering for waste collections.