Funding gap poses threat to refuse collection and street cleaning

VITAL services such as refuse collection and street cleaning are at risk because of inadequate Government funding for local authorities, IMPACT’s biennial conference in Killarney heard yesterday.

Jim Nealon of the union’s Municipal Employees’ branch said local government was unfairly being portrayed as a black hole which swallows resources.

“That’s rubbish. We are delivering vital services each and every day: Safe drinking water, decent roads, public lighting, clean streets and refuse collection. We also deliver homes for those priced out of the property market, drainage and sewage systems, libraries, parks – even art galleries. Take any one of these away and life would be more difficult, more dangerous, more expensive, and an awful lot smellier for everyone.”

Nationwide local authorities are facing a funding-gap of €415m — a figure which could rise to €1.6 billion within four years.

Although Environment Minister Dick Roche has frequently accused local authorities of irresponsibly spending their budgets IMPACT maintain the Government is forcing a crisis situation by refusing to acknowledge that additional resources were required.

In a keynote speech to yesterday’s conference, IMPACT assistant general secretary also addressed the issue, warning that new additional charges would be inflicted on taxpayers.

“The failure of Government to take this issue seriously is forcing local authorities to consider their own ways of bridging the funding gap,” he said. “Measures like increasing service charges, introducing new charges for water and other local services, privatisation, and outsourcing jobs. All of these are being contemplated — in some cases they are being implemented.”

The conference also heard that State-backed organisations providing services to recovering drug addicts, rape victims and homeless people are under threat because staff are leaving for better paid jobs in the mainstream public services.

IMPACT official Dessie Robinson said a pay gap of 10-15% had opened up between staff in voluntary sector organisations and comparable public servants.

“These highly qualified staff should be getting salaries appropriate to the work they carry out. But there is a real danger that vital local services will collapse as voluntary and community organisations struggle to retain staff,” she said.