COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF TALLAGHT AREA COMMITTEE (1)

Monday, September 21, 2009

QUESTION NO. 7

QUESTION: Councillor D. Looney

To ask the Manager to give an update on the rollout of the new chip-based refuse collection service ('grey bins') in the Tallaght Central and Tallaght South areas, and to confirm if sites have been selected for pilot projects in either area.

REPLY:

The new system will enable the removal of bin tags.  Each customer will have an account and will able to credit their account with the equivalent cost of their bin tag.  The bins will only be lifted where there is adequate credit in the account but it will mean that customers will no longer have to be concerned about tags being stolen and the Council will have no concerns regarding the production of counterfeit tags.  Customers will be able top up their accounts on-line, by phone and to purchase credit in a large range of local outlets.  Waiver customers will have their accounts credited on a quarterly basis so that each quarter entitles them to six lifts - the equivalent of their current waiver pack.

In order to achieve this 83,000 individual customer accounts had to be established which linked the bin to the address.  Following this extensive piece of work over 83,000 grey bins had to be registered and a large number had to be retrofitted with a chip.  The registration of the bins required considerable customer co-operation and there are now 2274 left to be registered.  It was anticipated that only 93% would be achieved so this level is quite unprecedented.  This was a complex operation in terms of the systems required, the negotiations which had to take place internally, establishment of outlets and the engagement with every household in the county.

Customer packs are now ready to issue - there is now a single outstanding issue to be negotiated with regard to the roll-out.  Once the roll-out commences - which at this stage is anticipated being mid-October, subject to the outstanding issue being agreed - it will take 10 to 12 weeks to complete the roll-out across the county.  In effect this should result in all bin tags being discontinued from 31st January 2010.   Customers will be able to use either bin tags or credit (but not both - customer pack explains) up to the end of January 2010

There will be no pilot project.  The introduction of the new system will be on a crew by crew basis commencing with the most senior crew and with the routes of additional crews becoming operational in a methodical roll-out on a fortnightly basis thereafter.  The order of the routes will be dispalayed on the internet and members net so that customers and Members can check when each route is due to be commenced.