MINISTER FOR the Environment John Gormley has refused to get involved in a row over whether Clare County Council is legally entitled to impose a charge on people using recycling facilities in the county which until this month were free.
The local authority introduced the new charges at its five main recycling centres on February 1st, saying that the money is needed to offset the increasing cost of maintaining and operating the facilities.
The council says that it will spend more than €1.5 million in 2009 on the operation of the five centres at Ennis, Shannon, Inagh, Scariff and Lisdeen, as well as its 54 Bring Banks throughout the county.
“Maintaining and operating this level of recycling infrastructure is expensive and the charges levied go towards these costs. It is the council’s intention to focus on the provision of additional services at its civic amenity centres and these additional services will be provided as funds permit,” the council has said.
Clare Green Party councillor Brian Meaney believes, however, that the charges may be illegal and he has called on the council to check the legality of introducing a charge for access to the recycling centres.
The council has introduced a scale of charges, starting with €4 for a car or car-based van. However, Mr Meaney says he is totally opposed to any charges at these facilities even if it was “just one cent”.
The Minister has again stated that he cannot interfere with Clare County Council’s decision on the charges, saying it was a matter for the local authority. Mr Gormley said during a visit to Clare: “These are matters for the council. We have invested hugely in recycling, but how councils operate in relation to waste and recycling is a matter for themselves.”