Not all refuse collection trucks certified

COUNCIL officials have admitted that not all refuse collection trucks operating in South and East Cork have been certified as having accurate weighing equipment.

The admission came yesterday after a county councillor queried how accurate billing for the new pay-by-weight scheme would be.

In addition officials also confirmed that those taking non-recyclable waste for disposal at civic amenity sites are set to face a 60% increase later this year, raising the cost of each bag from €5 to €8.

Councillor Mark O’Keeffe (FF) said he had received queries from a number of constituents who had weighed their own waste and “had come up with discrepancies.” He was concerned that mistakes could be made which could cost the public money and wanted to know if the systems employed had been properly calibrated and checked.

Pay-by-weight billing came into use in large tracts of East and South Cork last month. It had previously been piloted in West Cork and then introduced in the north of the county.

County manager Maurice Moloney said it was not up to the local authority to certifiy the weighing equipment which, through the use of computers and a microchip placed in the bin, bills the individual householder. The council had informed the National Standards Authority, a section of which was responsible for certification.

While a number of trucks have been certified, more have to be done, he said.

Meanwhile, Fianna Fáil’s Aindrias Moynihan asked council officials if it was true that they were about to increase the cost of disposing of residual (non-recyclable) waste at civic amenity centres. He was told that the cost of disposing of a bag at such sites was to rise from €5 to €8 by the end of this year.

Mr Moynihan said he was concerned it represented a 60% increase, which he felt was too large. He said a lot of people who weren’t on bin collection routes were helping the council by bringing their refuse to such sites and were being penalised for doing so.

However, council officials said that civic amenity centres were primarily for collecting refuse which could be recycled, and they didn’t want residual waste deposited in them because it would still have to be taken to landfills for disposal.

The council also announced yesterday that it is to proceed with building so-called bring sites (for recycling) in the villages of Ballynoe, Glanworth and Castlelyons.