3,500 to face bin charges as Council cuts waiver

Date Published: {J}

The full waiver system for domestic waste collection – applying to about 3,500 lower income households in the city – is due for the chop at next Monday night’s meeting of the City Council.

City Manager, Joe MacGrath, is proposing in his annual budget that the waiver will now only apply to the annual standing charge of €159 – leaving the lower income households to foot the bill for waste in their grey, green and brown bins.

The Galway City Tribune has learned that over recent years the ‘waiver bins’ have tended to be in the heavier weight category – the new proposal is seen as motivation for the waiver customers to recycle and segregate more of their rubbish.

However, the move is regarded as a sensitive political issue, with the Labour Party likely to strongly oppose any tampering with the waiver system on the basis that it will impact severely on the lower income families.

Detailed negotiations between members of the Council’s main ‘pact parties’ and Independent councillors are likely to take place this weekend, which could result in a compromise proposal emerging, at Monday night’s budget meeting.

It is likely that if this compromise proposal emerges, those entitled to a waiver will be exempted from the standing charge of €159 and they will be also allowed a set annual weight in their bins, before charges click in.

City Manager Joe MacGrath, in his annual budget report, which councillors will consider on Monday night, warns, however, that the City Council “cannot continue to remain in the waste collection business with an annual subvention of €2m which is substantially attributable to the cost of the waiver scheme”.

He also points out that in most local authority areas around the country where there is no public collection service, no waiver applies.

Mr MacGrath also points out that according to the report of the Ombudsman on Waste Waiver Schemes administered by local authorities, Galway City Council operates the most generous waiver scheme in the country.

“Galway City Council applies a full waiver to all qualified waiver applicants – this is not replicated in other local authority areas,” says Mr MacGrath.

He also estimates that the waiver scheme will cost the city €1.5m for this year – however, if his new proposal is adopted by the City Council, the cost in 2010 will be reduced to €630,000.

Read more on page 2 of the Galway City Tribune.