DUBLIN City Council’s free junk collection service is to return in 2019.
The draft budget presented to the city council provided for an allocation of €5 million for discretionary works/services split equally between the five local areas.
At the statutory budget meeting in November an amendment was made to the draft budget with the city council agreeing to provide an additional amount of €1,080,000 to be split equally between the five local areas from which councillors can agree an allocation for the provision of the free junk collection.
Cllr Damian O’Farrell (Ind), who represents the Clontarf Local Electoral Area (LEA), has welcomed the news.
“This service is amazingly popular with residents all over the city,” he said.
“In effect the city’s five local area committees have been given an allocation of €216,000 each with which to provide the service.”
Cllr O’Farrell said city councillors were given an option to restore the popular free junk collection service in 2019.
“This service has not been in existence for some time now and I have been working towards its restoration,” he said.
“As well as being a popular service I have been making the point that residents paying Local Property Tax (LPT) deserve to see something tangible in return.
“The free service would also help to remove from circulation material which ends up on bonfires at Halloween thus helping to prevent thousands of euros in damage to playng surfaces in our parks.
“In our area next year (North Central Area) councillors have a ‘discretionary fund’ of €1.2 million to spend on their choice of works/services.”
“I have been lobbying to this end and councillors are favourable towards the junk collection returning in the new year.”
Cllr O’Farrell added: “At a recent meeting involving councillors from Dublin City Council's North Central Area there was a broad welcome for the return of the junk collection service.”