City set to hike household bin charges to €290

DOMESTIC bin collection charges in Cork city look set to jump by €35 - from €255 to €290 - according to draft budget figures discussed yesterday.

And commercial rates are set to rise by 2.7% - the lowest rise in 40 years.

Controversial options to help plug a €1.5m deficit in the council’s refuse collection income by either rising the price of bin tags or introducing a charge for the city’s recycling bags have been scrapped.

However, the city manager said he plans to probe the leaking of the figures to the media yesterday before the estimates were distributed to city councillors.

The estimates were discussed by members of the council’s strategic policy committee (SPC) during a meeting yesterday morning.

But councillors complained last night that the figures were leaked before they had been distributed to the council members.

The SPC meeting ended at 12.50pm and Mr Gavin said arrangements were made to deliver by taxi a copy to other councillors.

But Cllr Jerry Buttimer complained during last night’s full council meeting that the details were in the public domain before councillors had seen them.

“It is regrettable that happened,” city manager Joe Gavin said.

He said he would conduct a full review to see how that happened and to report back to council on his findings.

The council will meet in full next Monday night to vote on the budget.

But the power to implement the refuse collection charges rests solely with the manager.

The Cork Business Association issued a cautious welcome to the commercial rates rise last night.

“That rise is quite acceptable. It is broadly in line with inflation,” spokesman James O’Sullivan said.

“But other charges have gone up considerably this year. Small businesses in the city are getting €4,000 and €5,000 bills for water.”

He said massive hikes in gas and electricity prices have put small and medium sized businesses under pressure.