Waste charges in Wicklow now amongst most expensive say Greens

“Many councillors on Dublin City Council are refusing to increase the waste charges from 125 to 156 euros for the 2003 Estimates” says Green Party councillor Deirdre de Burca. “Yet householders in Wicklow will pay 350 euros in 2003 to have their waste collected by Noble Waste, or four euros per bag. The service provided by Noble Waste does not include a doorstep recycling or ‘Green Bin’ service as is provided in Dublin City Council’s area. Instead people in Wicklow must travel to the nearest mobile recycling collection point once a fortnight” she says.

Councillor de Burca points to the limited range of materials that can be recycled in Wicklow. “Most of the mobile recycling collection points in the county only collect newspapers and plastic” she says. “This is not good enough. What about Tetra Paks that are being collected by Dublin City Council on a pilot basis? What about heavy metal tins or magazines?” She argues that the elderly, the disabled and people without transport often find it impossible to bring large quantities of waste to the mobile collection points for recycling.

According to councillor de Burca, householders in Wicklow are paying over twice as much as people in Dublin for a less satisfactory waste collection service. “If we think back to the reasons that were given for privatising the waste services in the county in 2000, it was argued that the private sector could provide waste collection services in a much more efficient and cost effective manner” she says. “Unfortunately the experience has been that the services provided by the private sector have been more expensive and less comprehensive than those provided by local authorities”.

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