Council told €1.5m in waste arrears ‘uncollectable’

A private debt collection agency hired by Cork County Council has told the local authority it was unable to collect nearly €1.5m owed by refuse charge defaulters.

The council hired Stubbs Gazette in the spring of 2013 to go after 6,800 defaulters, who owed a combined €1.8m.

The money was outstanding from former customers after the council sold off its refuse service to Country Clean in Sept 2010.