Refuse charges must not rise, warns TD
The Government must first decide if a €10 million once-off charge for capping the region’s two closed landfills will be subsidised, reducing the cost to the public of such work, Fine Gael’s John Deasy said.
Fears are growing that a flat fee of €140 to meet the €10m bill could be introduced next year. Waterford County Council has already warned that refuse charges could almost double next year to meet the remediation cost at the two landfills in Tramore and Dungarvan.
The local authority also faces the prospect of a €1.5m black hole in its finances by the end of the year because of the increasing cost of disposing of waste outside of the county, it has already warned.
The council’s only landfill closed during the summer and waste is being transported to Carlow. The transport costs, which have been put at €700,000 per annum, coupled with the loss of revenue at its own landfill of a further €720,000 per annum will put the council under major financial pressure.
Now Deputy Deasy says it’s time for the Government to decide whether to part-finance the €10m capping works or not. He wants local councillors not to hike up the charges until the Government gives a clear decision.
“Councillors are almost resigned to large hikes, including a €140 flat, household charge on top of the bin tags, which may go up as well,” he said.
“It would be extremely unwise to settle on waste charges until the Government has given us an answer. Waterford County Council has gone about the management of waste in a reasonable manner. We are enthusiastic about recycling. It’s time for the Government to accept this and assist the local authority.”
Deputy Deasy said flat charges were also against local government policy and that a pay-as-you-go system was being promoted.
When last in Waterford at the end of May, Environment Minister Dick Roche said he had put together a task force within his department to deal with “legacy issues” but said he would not be able to make any promises to Waterford or any other county.
“To be fair to Waterford, it has one of the best recycling and recovery rates in the country,” the minister said.
“It is ironic that they also have a legacy issue and I will listen very carefully to what they have to say. But I don’t have an endless budget to deal with this.”
- Waterford County Council began looking for an alternative landfill.
- A 150-acre site at Garrynagree, west Waterford, is examined.
- An Environmental Impact Study on the site is prepared.
- A judicial review is ordered into the site. It takes three years.
- Council applies to An Bord Pleanála for permission to develop the site.
- An Bord Pleanála announces it is holding an oral hearing into the site.
- The oral hearing begins and is bilingual, the first of its kind in the country.
- An Bord Pleanála gives the green light.
- Residents send notice to the council that they are seeking a judicial review of the An Bord Pleanála decision.
:
€2.25 per recycling bag for dry, recyclable materials, such as paper and cans.
€7.50 per brown or organic bin lift and
€13.50 for the refuse or residual bin lift.
