Our quality of life under attack

IMAGINE my shock when I read that the refuse collection services throughout south Tipperary had been privatised.

Having just read about the impending sell-off of these vital services the previous week, I expected that there would be a little more time before it was implemented. It appears that the whole deal was carried out by executive decisions of the county/town managers, without any vote from the elected councillors, let alone reference to the people of the county. So much for democracy in this country.

Although the price people pay may be low now, there is no guarantee that it will remain so in the future. No matter how good the company, they are in the business of making profits and not providing socially necessary services. The waiver scheme is to be abandoned after 12 months, leaving people on low incomes who are already struggling to pay facing an impossible situation. This is in a country where pay has been cut for most people and a new raft of charges and taxes are squeezing people to the bone. Also, public services — health, education, (including special needs assistants), environmental programmes, transport and other services that people on low incomes rely upon are being cut. I note that at the same time the top people in the public, (and private), sectors are on six-figure salaries, with no sign of pay cuts or tax rises for most of them.