Rubbish ‘dumped to avoid charges’

PEOPLE are increasingly burning and dumping rubbish in an attempt to avoid expensive refuse charges, a number of Cork county councillor have claimed.

County manager Maurice Moloney was called on to abandon the new pay-by-weight system by some public representatives, who claimed that up to 2,000 customers had been lost to private collectors offering a better service, which included kerbside collections of recyclable material.

Cllr John Mulvihill called the present system “disastrous” and said there were not enough proper bring sites.

“I appeal to you (Mr Moloney) to abandon this system. It’s not working and people burning waste in their back gardens,” Cllr Mulvihill said. He added that his phone had been “hopping” with complaints last weekend.

The Labour Party representative said he knew of one 200-home estate where just three or four householders were using the council collection.

His party colleague, Cllr John Gilroy, said the system had become too expensive and in Glanmire he had conducted an experiment among six householders who were good at recycling, but we still paying an average of €54 a month. “That is €648 a year, plus the standing charge of €120,” Cllr Gilroy said.

Cllr Martin Hallinan (SF) said littering in Youghal was disgraceful, a fact agreed by Cllr Barbara Murray (FG) who said tour buses visiting her hometown must believe we are “the dirty Irish.”

The county manager admitted the new system was “a long way from perfect.”

He said teething problems would be ironed out and promised the pilot collection of recyclable waste would start in Ballincollig before June.