Simon Coveney vows bin charges will not be hiked

Homeowners look set to escape from threatened bin charge hikes as a suspension of the new bin charge regime appears imminent, the Irish Examiner can reveal.

Speaking last night, Housing Minister Simon Coveney said homeowners should not pay any more than they do at present.

Mr Coveney’s promise to act to protect consumers came as it emerged yesterday homeowners were facing bill hikes from €420 a year to €770 in order to have their bins collected — an increase of 83%.

Amid comparisons in the Dáil of “mafia-type” behaviour by the companies, a meeting between Mr Coveney and the refuse industry, due to take place next Wednesday, has been moved forward to 6pm this evening.

Speaking to the Irish Examiner, Mr Coveney said a decision on a freeze will have to be made in a few days.

“I need to act quickly to deal with this, and a decision on a suspension or other actions needs to be taken within the next few days. But I want to hear from the companies first,” he said.

“We need to have a very direct conversation but I am not going to allow a big political campaign build up around bin charges,” he added.

A number of options are now under active consideration by Mr Coveney’s department to ensure people will not pay any more than what they currently do to have their waste removed.

It is understood that while suspending the introduction of the new regime is the preferred option, a freeze of current charges is also being considered.

Setting a maximum charge is also in the mix, but Mr Coveney is reluctant to commit to that as it may hinder recycling for some homeowners.

The issue dominated the political agenda yesterday in Leinster House.

Mr Coveney met with Fine Gael party chairman Martin Heydon and party secretary Noel Rock who left him in no doubt as the scale of concern within the party.

Louth TD and former minister, Fergus O’Dowd, joined the chorus of calls for the new charges to be suspended, saying the scheme as it is set up now is “grossly unfair and unjust”.

Mr Heydon, speaking to the Irish Examiner, said earlier promises of savings to homeowners of 80% under the new regime have been exposed as wholly wrong and that his party colleagues are requiring urgent action.

“We have all been inundated with concerned calls but we are all looking at our own family circumstances. Action is needed quickly. This has to be sorted by Tuesday,” he said.

Fine Gael’s Independent colleagues in Government are also up in arms and demanding a resolution.

Super Junior Minister Finian McGrath, speaking to the Irish Examiner, said he is deeply concerned at what has emerged and said he will be fighting all the way to ensure a speedy resolution can be found.

“We can’t stand over this as it is. I will be pressing this issue within Government to ensure fairness for families who are rightly concerned at the crisis,” he said.

The opposition are demanding that the charges be suspended until a resolution can be found.

During Leaders Questions, highlighting the Irish Examiner’s lead story yesterday, Fianna Fáil’s Dara Calleary called on the Government to freeze the charges until clarity can be established on the issue.

“Will the Government agree to freeze these charges until people can realise where the savings are, or if the savings actually exist,” he asked in the Dáil. He referred to his colleague, Dublin South West TD John Lahart, who had correspondence from constituents who said their bills are set to soar from €420 a year to €770.

This is up from €240 a year when bin charges were first introduced — an increase of 320%.

Another said Greyhound look set to increase their annual charges from €186 a year to €469.30.