Council expands refuse service

PEOPLE who lost out as refuse contractors collapsed in West Cork, or who have never had a proper collection, could be in for good news.

Cork County Council is to buy four refuse collection trucks, including a small one to tackle narrow roads.

Jerome O’Sullivan, the council’s official in charge of waste collection in the region, said that since a private company had closed at the end of March, the council had taken up the slack around Glengarriff and put around 100 more customers on its route.

He was responding to calls from Cllr Noel Harrington (FG) to help people, especially those in remote areas.

“The more customers we have, particularly in rural areas, the better. We should endeavour to collect from as many possible households in West Cork,” Mr Harrington said.

Meanwhile, Cllr Paddy Sheehan said the Coomhola and Borlin Valley areas, between Bantry and Glengarriff and the borders of Kenmare, were also in dire need of servicing.

Cllr Joe Carroll (FF) said people would be driven to indiscriminate dumping if they weren’t helped.

Meanwhile, his party colleague, Cllr Danny Crowley, looked for an extension of opening hours in Castletownbere waste transfer station, primarily at weekends when “people were more available to use them”.

Jerome O’Sullivan, senior executive engineer, said that the council was having a continuous examination of its refuse trucks routes.

“We are looking at a new service in the Dunmanway area. We will be coming (to councillors) with a report next month,” he said.