Pressure mounts amid waste privatisation fears

DUBLIN City
Council is facing mounting pressure as speculation increases that it is on the
verge of privatising its waste collection service.

Dublin’s three
other local authorities – Fingal County Council, South Dublin Council and Dun
Laoghaire Rathdown County council – have already gone down the privatisation
route and it’s expected that Dublin City Council will eventually follow
suit.

At a full
meeting of the council last Monday (September 5), a Sinn Féin motion opposing
the privatisation of the service was adopted.

Artane Whitehall
ward councillor Larry O’Toole (SF), who tabled the motion, said the
democratically elected representatives of the people of Dublin have now voted
against the privatisation of the household refuse collection service.

“Council management
should implement this decision,

? he told Northside People.

“This is a key
council service and if it is ended householders will have to pay private
providers.

?

Cllr O’Toole
believes that if the service is privatised there will be no protection for
those currently holding waivers and many householders will face increased
costs.

“There is a
special responsibility on the Labour Party members of the council to see that
this council decision to oppose privatisation is implemented,

? stated Cllr
O’Toole.

“Indeed, some of
their members voted for the Sinn Féin motion.

“Labour is in
Government and so can help ensure both at council and at Government level that
this democratic decision is carried out.

?

A spokesman for
the council told Northside People:

“Dublin City Council continues to collect
waste and is in discussions with the unions concerning future restructuring of
the waste collection service.

?

Noel Nutley,
from Raheny, who vehemently opposed the introduction of bin charges when they
were controversially introduced, said he would have a number of concerns if the
waste collection service was privatised.

Mr Nutley, who currently has a waiver from Dublin City
Council, said if the service was privatised he would expect to hold onto the
waiver.

He currently has an annual waiver on his grey bin but still
has to pay for the lifts, while there is no charge for his green bin.

“Speaking on behalf of all pensioners, we would expect to
have the exact same service, if not better, from a private company,

? Mr Nutley
told Northside People.

“If the service is going to be run by a private company,
then the waiver must be one of the conditions of the contract.

“I’m sure somebody in the council did a costing of the
service and found that it was losing money.

“Therefore, I can’t understand why
a private company would be interested in taking it on unless they were going to
cut down on the same service.

?

Mr Nutley, a member of Age Action, said he would also be
worried about potential job losses in the council.

“You sometimes see three or four people going around
carrying out the bin collections but now that could be reduced to one or two,

?
he added.

Northside councillor Mary Fitzpatrick (FF) said the Fianna
Fail group on the council was very concerned by this development.

“It is unacceptable that such an important decision would be
taken without first consulting with the city’s councillors,

? she stated.

“The manager has informed us that the decision to enter into
discussions with the unions is based on the findings of a review by third party
private consultants of the Waste Management Service commissioned by Dublin City
Council and the unions.

“I have asked that a copy of the review be circulated to all
elected representatives and that a special meeting of the city council be held
to debate this important policy issue before any further negotiations take
place.

?

“The Fianna Fail group of city councillors has indicated
that it will oppose any short-term decision that would result in the
privatisation of the city’s waste management service.

?