Fee to use Cork civic recycling centres to rise from €3 to €4

A worker Christmas tree at a Cork County Council recycling centre. The charge to use the civic amenity sites is to bincreased from €3 to €4. 

An increased charge is to be levied on all vehicles entering major recycling centres in Co Cork, and further price hikes could be in the offing for the disposal of specific types of waste.

This comes as the county council tries to tackle €3m in losses accrued annually in operating them.

The deficit is so serious councillors were warned before a vote on the issue by their chief executive, Tim Lucey, that if some form of increased charges wasn't agreed, he'd have no option but use his executive power to introduce them or to find money by reducing community grants.

He said the latter was something he didn't want to do as it would have "a great impact” on community groups.

Councillors were faced with increasing the entry fee per car from €3 to €4, or increasing charges for the acceptance of specific goods such as armchairs, three-piece suites, and mattresses.

A lengthy debate ensued after some Fianna Fáil and Independent councillors proposed no increases in any charges until a full review of civic amenity sites operations was undertaken.

They were told by officials that it could take 12 months to complete and they needed to find at least €900,000 in the interim to keep operating their 11 major recycling centres, known as civic amenity sites (CAS).

Some councillors argued it's cheaper to dispose of waste with private operators, and increasing CAS entrance fees, or charges for disposing of certain items at them, would lead to further illegal dumping and this would cost even more in the long-run.

Louis Duffy, head of the council's environment directorate, said CAS facilities offered value for money as there is a "vast amount of material" which can be disposed of at them.

Councillors eventually voted 26 to 14 in favour of the €1 CAS entry fee rise.