COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF TERENURE-RATHFARNHAM AREA COMMITTEE (2)

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

QUESTION NO. 24

QUESTION: Councillor C. Keane

"To ask the Manager for a detailed report on the new payment methods for bin charges “pay as you go” and to state how housebound/elderly people who do not use phone and previously had their tags delivered/bins put out  by neighbours will be facilitated?"

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. 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. The abolition of the bin tag is planned for 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 recent commencement of a project to electronically identify each domestic bin in the County. The first round of 20,000 Customers have been notified in recent weeks and the scanning of those bins is now approaching levels of around 60% success. The next 20,000 Customers are being notified at present and the scanning of their bins will commence next week. Scanning crews will continue through the county on this basis and a "mopping up" exercise will take place once a first run through has been completed.

A major promotion effort has been undertaken through the issuing of registration packs to Customers, information on the Council's website and a significant amount of press coverage at local and more widespread level. The scanning element of the project is on course for all bins to be scanned and 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. The payment methods available with the scheme will facilitate payment on-line, by phone, payment in commerical outlets through terminals for which Customers will be issued with a smartcard and in time, payment through a similar system to the "top up" method for mobile phones.

For waiver customers, credit will be applied to their account through the system by Environmental Services Staff as part of the Waiver application/review process.