Refuse system goes down like a lead balloon
Their new system of refuse collection has gone down like a lead balloon with the public. It has made no difference to those who were already dumping their rubbish illegally: they will continue to do so.
However, the effects of the new system on many pensioners, low income families and those who were already actively recycling has created a lot of anger.
All of them will end up paying a lot more now than they did last year. Those who had a full waiver up to now will end up paying well over 200 this year, putting yet more pressure on the people who can least afford it.
True, those of us who recycle will now only put our bins out once a fortnight, but we will still end up paying more than last year.
What the city council is really telling us is that, if we do the 'right thing' and use the refuse service only half as much as we used to do, we will still be hit with a de facto increase of more than 100% in the cost of that service.
We shouldn't be surprised by this because they have also increased the charges at the landfill site by 100% and the cost of parking permits by 300%. At least they're being consistent.
Most people are fair-minded and want to be treated that way, but this new system is not fair.
While all this is going on, bags of rubbish are beginning to pile up on the streets of the city, left there to be kicked about, torn open or set alight. It would be bad enough at any time, but is this how city management thinks Cork should look during its reign as European capital of culture?
Surely a bit of common sense will have to prevail. There is no perfect system for disposing of our rubbish and there will always be the need for some people to use black bags where wheelie-bins aren't feasible.
Putting those yellow stickers on the bags isn't going to make them disappear; they will have to be collected sometime. Why not make it soon, before this city of culture becomes a laughing stock or, worse, a health hazard?
How is it that street-sweepers are still out there cleaning up rubbish that has been illegally discarded by people, yet the city council refuses to send out trucks to take away the black bags?
For the sake of the city, the authorities should look at the bigger picture. The priority surely must be to keep the city clean, and not just look at ways of squeezing another few euro out of an already much-bled public.
Roger Herlihy
Greenhills Court
South Douglas Road
Cork.
