Calls for Council to take over North Strand recycling centre

A local Councillor has called for the recycling centre in North Strand to fall under the control of Dublin City Council.

A motion put forward by Independent Dublin City Council member Nial Ring would compel Dublin City Council to take control of the recycling centre. 

The centre was previously threatened with closure in 2022, but following a campaign by Ring and local residents, the decision was reversed.

Ring proposed the motion at a recent meeting of the North Central Area committee with the motion also instructing the local area manager not to outsource recycling services in the local area.

The motion called for recycling services at the centre to fall under the direct control of Dublin City Council.

In practical terms, Dublin City Council would become responsible for managing and maintaining the centre and employees at the centre would become employees of Dublin City Council. 

 Ring questioned a delay in the feasibility study by Dublin City Council about a potential takeover of the site, noting the study was due to be published by last November.

The response read “a feasibility study and cost benefit analysis regarding the potential insourcing of the operation of civic amenity sites has been carried out” and the findings of the report will be fleshed out further with the human resources department of Dublin City Council. 

The response added that the employment status of staff at all civic amenity sites, in this context meaning recycling centres, is protected under EU Transfer of Undertakings legislation.

 An addendum to the motion was added by Fine Gael Ray McAdam that members of the committee would be willing to put forward a Section 140 motion.

A Section 140 motion is often used as a last resort in the context of Dublin City Council operations, as it refers to a resolution by Council members that requires a council and their management to enforce the terms of the resolution.

Ring said he was willing to deploy the nuclear option so the centre would fall under Council control, with him and McAam recently threatening to use the same motion to prevent the closure of a Bring centre in Grangegorman.

“Myself and Councillor McAdam recently threatened to put a S140 motion to the council to prevent the closure of the Grangegorman Bring Centre. This worked because management agreed to retain the centre unless and until an agreed suitable alternative site was found in the area. We have no hesitation in threatening this action again” he stated.

He said he lobbied for three years to ensure that no downgrade of services at the North Strand Centre took place, but now was the time for Dublin City Council to show how serious they are about combatting climate change.

“The logical progression for Dublin City Council now is to show that they are serious about climate change and recycling facilities by managing and maintaining the centre themselves and, more importantly, directly employing the  staff there who are in constant fear for their jobs.”

He said that the North Strand Recycling Centre plays a “vital part” in efforts to tackle dumping in the area.

“It plays a vital part in ensuring that recycling becomes the norm as we look at ways to tackle the climate change crisis. The people of the area and people outside the area who use the centre deserve to know that this vital service will  be manned, maintained and managed by Dublin City Council, thus ensuring its future.”

McAdam said recycling centres were a crucial function of Dublin City Council, and said it was more pertinent now as there is an “illegal dumping emergency in the north inner-city.”

“We’ve seen how much demand there is for these services, we have to maintain them and protect them,” the Fine Gael Councillor said.

McAdam told the meeting that elected representatives “reserve the right” to invoke section 140.

“This is to ensure that this facility continues to be managed and the staff employed by Dublin City Council,” said McAdam.

Green Party Councillor Janet Horner questioned the decision to close the recycling centre in the first place, saying that it is frequently used by local residents and is in a convenient location for people who don’t own cars.

Members of Dublin City Council have fought tooth and nail to keep recycling centres open.

A number of motions submitted over 2022 by Ring were all signed by members of the North Central Area Committee, which led Dublin City Council to back down from plans to shut down the recycling centres.

At the time, the executive function of Dublin City Council said the planned closures would be put “under review.”