Council defends use of debt collectors

Cork’s county manager Martin Riordan has defended a controversial decision to employ a private debt collection company to recoup €1.8m owed to the county council in refuse collection charges.

Angry councillors said they were left “red-faced” as they were not informed Stubbs Gazette had been employed by the local authority to collect monies owed by 6,800 householders.

The debts date back to pre-Sept 2010 when the local authority disposed of its refuse collection service to private contractors Country Clean.