Councillors warn against privatising recycling centres

Visits to recycling centres in Co Cork could become more costly if the private sector takes over their running.

The warning came from a number of councillors who were yesterday informed the local authority was actively seeking to outsource its recycling sites to the private sector.

Two years ago, the council sold off its refuse collection service to a private company, Country Clean, for just over €6m.

Sharon Corcoran, head of the council’s environment directorate, told councillors at a meeting in Clonakilty yesterday the local authority had already sought expressions of interest from the private sector on the disposal of its civic amenity sites.

She said running the centres was a costly operation and the council had tried unsuccessfully to date to secure union agreement to extend opening hours on Saturdays. Most of the centres currently close at 12.30pm.

“We need to use efficiencies. We’ve been in talks with the unions for the last six to nine months with no agreement yet. We wanted Saturdays set as a normal day. We have looked for expressions of interest. We are testing the market,” Ms Corcoran revealed.

She said three possible options were in play. Firstly, the council could lease out the running of the entire sites to private operators. Secondly, the private sector could just supply employees to operate them and, thirdly, they could provide technical assistance through environmental monitoring of the sites.

Ms Corcoran said if the second option was chosen, council staff would be deployed to other duties.

Her comments were met with widespread concern by councillors.

“This is a hugely backward step to privatise the sites,” Cllr Christopher O’Sullivan (FF) told her.

Cllr Dermot Sheehan (FG) agreed. “I’d be very concerned about the future of the sites if that’s the case. I’d be afraid privatisation could lead to a decrease in the service and increase in cost,” he said.

It costs €3 to deposit materials at the recycling centres and Ms Corcoran said the council couldn’t operate them without such a charge.

“There seems to be a kind of a headlong rush into privatisation. We have to be very careful. We have to make sure the service is what the public want,” said Cllr Pat Gerard Murphy.

Cllr Danny Crowley said the council “had an asset it could be proud of” and the introduction some years ago of the pay-by-weight system for waste had resulted in the success of recycling centres.

Cllr Donal O’Rourke described what appeared to be the council’s withdrawal from waste management as “a disgrace”.

“We have already seen the selling of the waste collection service for €6m. It makes me angry,” he said.

Cllr John O’Sullivan warned: “If we didn’t have the civic amenity sites how much rubbish would be dumped on the roadsides.”

Ms Corcoran said council officials had not gone as far as tendering out the sites but added: “It’s fair to say we’re looking at it.”