COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, September 08, 2008

QUESTION NO. 3

QUESTION: Councillor J. Hannon

To ask the Manager to provide a progress report on the proposed electronic payment system in respect of domestic refuse collection,and, given the incidence of bin tags being removed/stolen, can he confirm that the proposed new system would eliminate this problem.

REPLY:

The bin tag system is to be replaced by a “Pay As You Go” system that will operate in the same way as a “Pay As You Go” mobile phone i.e. a Customer’s bin will be lifted if there is enough credit on the account. The abolition of the bin tag is planned before the end of 2008.

Substantial progress has been made on the introduction of the “pay as you go” waste charges with the development of the necessary customer management system now practically complete and the imminent commencement of a project to electronically identify each domestic bin in the County. Customer will be notified in the coming weeks about when they should present their bin for Registration for the new system which it is envisaged will take two to three months.

The implementation of appropriate payment systems with the relevant service providers is being advanced in line with the registration phase.

Completion of these stages will enable the Environmental Services Department to be in a position to present customers with a convenient, user friendly system of paying waste charges by the end of the year. One of the primary benefits of the new system to customers will be that bin tags will not be required as payment information will be recorded and retrieved electronically so theft/removal of tags will not arise.