Pay charges or keep your rubbish, warns council

HOUSEHOLDERS who do not pay their refuse charges will not have their rubbish collected — that’s the blunt message from Cork City manager Joe Gavin.

Mr Gavin was reacting to anti-bin tax group, Householders Against Service Charges (HASG), which has told refuse charge defaulters not to be afraid of going to jail. HASG will hold a series of public meetings around the city to analyse the strength of opposition to what they claim is a double taxation.

But Mr Gavin said the majority of people have paid their service charges, with only 2,000 of 40,000 householders not paid up.

All defaulters have been warned by the City Council that if they do not pay their charges by November 17 when a sticker system is introduced, their refuse will not be collected.

Mr Gavin said that since that letter went out the city council has received €700,000 in refuse charge payments and he expects the majority of people will pay by the deadline.

Cork City Council operates a waiver for people on social welfare and low incomes.

"We are also prepared to allow people who have arrears to make repayments in installments," Mr Gavin said.

Asked what Cork City Council will do if residents block refuse collection trucks like they did in Dublin, Mr Gavin said: "We will deal with it if it arises but I expect people in Cork not to break the law."

Meanwhile, the Cork Householders Against Service Charges will continue to hold public meetings around the city.

Spokesman Joe Moore said people who are refusing to pay should not be afraid of a jail threat.

"Before a person can be sent to jail the council has to go through a very lengthy process," Mr Moore said.