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SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, March 08, 2010

MOTION NO. 3

MOTION: Councillor W. Lavelle

That this Council implement a new campaign to encourage householders to register their mobile phone number and email address with the council, through the council website or by way of SMS text, so as to allow for the Environmental Services Dept. and it's contractors to provide a greater level of direct detailed communications to householders about scheduled grey or green bin collection which are to be missed and also to advise of revised collection dates; and as such that we seek to move away from the policy of advising householders in areas which have missed a scheduled bin collection to continue to present their bin until such time as it is next collected. This policy is contributing to both litter problems and to the theft of bins, most of which end-up being burnt in our parks and green areas.

REPORT:

There has been an ongoing campaign to encourage housholders to register their mobile phone numbers and e-mail addresses for notification in relation to Council business. The Council is required under Data Protection responsibilities to request permission from Customers to use their details for specific notification purposes. This permission is not always forthcoming.

In relation to the refuse collection service, approximately 13,690 customers have now provided mobile numbers and text updates are sent where appropriate to customers informing them of service information and updates. Another 6,500 have registered for updates by email.

However, given the nature of the refuse collection system it is not always possible to inform customers in advance that routes are to be missed. In fact, in the normal course of the operation of the service routes are in the main missed as a result of conditions/circumstances that are found at specific locations at the time of collection - for eg cars blocking routes etc - which cannot be known in advance.

In the recent weather event customers were requested to continue to present their bin each day as it was not possible to be certain whether collections would be possible given the weather conditions. During this period (which was reported on at the January Meeting) the normal routes were collected to the point where it was possible to do so and previously missed collections were picked up where conditions allowed. In the circumstances where collections were made where and when possible, collection schedules could only be notified to customers with a small degree of certainty. As a result, customers were asked to leave bins out.

Under the normal course of operations, where routes are missed customers are advised when it is intended to return. This information is given with the proviso that the collections will take place where circumstances on the day allow. Where circumstances are such that prevent collections, notifications are issued to those customers that have provided e-mail/mobile phone contact details.

With the change to the new advance credit waste system there was a considerable volume of enquiries.  This has led to an increase in the data base of mobile and email contact details.  Email has proven to be a more reliable point of contact in that it tends to be more stable rather than the disposable nature of phone ownership.  Form a cost point of view it is also preferable to have email contact details and people were generally happy to give permission for these details to be used in the recent contacts with them.

Given that only approximately 27% of customers at present have provided their details, it is important that a consistent policy that is understood by customers who are not immediately contactable so that they do not miss replacement collections. As registered customers increase direct contact will increasingly become the norm.