[Press Release: April 18th, 2002]

DE BURCA CALLS FOR RECYCLING TARGETS FOR WASTE COLLECTORS

Green Party councillor, Deirdre de Burca, has called on Wicklow County Council to exercise greater control over the activities of private waste collectors in the county, especially in relation to waiver schemes and recycling targets. She made the call following Bray Town Council's recent announcement that the local authority refuse collection service in Bray is to be discontinued.

"It is very disappointing to see Bray town Council's refuse collection service being discontinued" said councillor de Burca. "I strongly opposed the privatisation of the Wicklow's waste collection services in January 2000 and I suppose the writing has been on the wall for the remaining council refuse collection service in Bray since then. I do not believe that the official will existed to see this service survive" she added.

Councillor de Burca pointed out that since November 2001 all private waste collectors in the county must apply to Wicklow County Council for waste collection permits. Any private waste collector who fails to do so is operating illegally.

"Wicklow County Council is now in a position to set conditions for the private waste operators as part of the process of granting waste collection permits to them" says councillor de Burca. "This is particularly important in relation to issues such as waiver schemes and recycling targets" she says.

Councillor de Burca points out that the absence of an official waiver scheme at present means that many elderly and low- income families must pay the same high waste charges as everybody else. "This is clearly unfair" says councillor de Burca. "The council must actually oblige each private waste operator to put a waiver scheme in place as part of the conditions on their collection permits, or alternatively the council must collect levies from the private waste collectors and operate the waiver scheme itself".

Councillor de Burca believes that private waste collectors must also be obliged by the council to meet certain recycling targets that are set by the council. "At the moment there is no incentive for the private waste collectors to recycle anything" she says. "None of the private waste operators are providing their customers with doorstep recycling services such as that which is operating in the neighbouring local authority area of South County Dublin. Once again I am calling on Wicklow County Council to set recycling targets for private waste collectors as part of the conditions attached to their waste collection permits".

For further information please contact Deirdre de Burca on 086 8061450 or email deburca@wicklowgreens.org.