COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, December 10, 2007

QUESTION NO. 4

QUESTION: Councillor K. Warren

To ask the Manager why it is that those responsible for the bin collection in South Dublin County Council’s administrative area take no responsibility for collecting and/ or prosecuting those residents who clearly have purchased bin tags on the black market, and automatically refuse to collect bins where tampered bin tags have been placed on the bin, and if he will state the total number of instances reported to this Council where bin tags have been stolen, and if he will make a statement on the matter?

REPLY:

The Environment Department receives regular reports of areas where bin tags have been stolen from bins and such reports are referred to the Gardai for investigation. Members will understand the difficulty with identifying perpetrators of such thefts. Council staff meet with the Gardai regarding the incidents and where any patterns with regard to theft are emerging.

Where cases of stolen or forged bin tags are identified by the Council the appropriate action is taken by the Environmental Services Department, whether that be refusal of service or referral to the Garda Siochana.

The matter of bin tag theft will be addressed by the proposed new system of advance credit payments on account by users of the service. These accounts will then be linked to a bin reader system that will enable, through the use of advanced technology, bins to be lifted where there is sufficient credit on account for the Customer. Bin tags will no longer be necessary with this system. The Environmental Services Department is currently working towards this system which it is hoped will be in place and available to all Customers by the middle of 2008.