Dublin council backs private bin service

Dublin city councillors have endorsed a proposal from the city management that would allow Dublin's household waste collection service to be privatised.

The council, on behalf of the four Dublin local authorities, is proposing to alter the region's waste management plan to allow household waste collection to be carried out either by the local authority or by a private company chosen through a public tendering process.

The change is being proposed to stop the proliferation of waste collection companies that are competing for "cherry-picking" business in some local authority areas, without having secured permission from the local authority.

However, one of the effects of the change would be to allow the bin collection service in the city, which has always been provided by the council, to be put out to tender.

Three companies have started collecting waste in the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown area in the last 12 months, in addition to the service provided by the local authority, while three private companies are also competing for business in the South Dublin local authority area.

Dublin City Council and Fingal County Council currently operate their own collection service for general domestic refuse.

Assistant city manager Matt Twomey said the private companies currently operating in the market were not providing the same service as local authorities.

"The local authorities operate a waiver system for about 70,000 low-income families", said Mr Twomey.

"Such a service is not being provided by private waste collectors and there are serious concerns that private collectors will cherry-pick the most lucrative part of the market."

Establishing a tender process would not only regulate the number of providers but would ensure that those providers operated to standards set down by the local authority, he said.

Councillors from all parties have supported a motion from Labour councillor Eric Byrne endorsing the management proposals. However, Mr Byrne said yesterday that the motion had been put forward in order to protect the waste service and eliminate cherry-picking, and that Labour would resist any attempt to privatise the service.

"I would not see any need for the waste collection service to go out to tender. In Labour we would not see that as a progressive move."