COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF RATHFARNHAM AREA COMMITTEE

Tuesday, March 09, 2010

MOTION NO. 3

MOTION: Councillor P. Cosgrave

Cathaoirleach's Business

"That the Manager give free grey bin collection in the Rathfarnham ward area begause of the huge delay,backlog and processing problems with many bins not being collected."

REPORT:

The Council has pursued a significant communications campaign over the last 18 months through direct and media contact with all of our Customers and has achieved significant success in completion of registration of over 95% prior to introduction. The Advance Credit System has been introduced on a phased basis from 19th October 2009 and was made available to all customers prior to the end of 2009. For the period from it’s introduction in October until the end of January 2010, a crossover period where Customers could use bin tags or bin lift credit was in operation in order to facilitate customers in using remaining tags and ease the transition. In spite of this, large numbers of customers had not engaged with the Council to ensure that things were in order with their accounts in advance of the full implementation of the system.

To date, Council staff have issued in excess of 9,000 replacement cards to Customers while a further 4,000 have been registered/re-registered.

The Council is very aware of the inconvenience that has been experienced by some and of the frustration that has been generated by the volumes of calls that has been preventing the normal quick response from our Customer Care Department. Arrangements have been made through the provision of backlog collections and flexibility on account balances that have allowed customers to get their bins collected as soon as possible after any missed collection arising from the implementation. As the Council operates a pay-per-lift system, Customers have only been charged for collections availed of.

Free collections are not being considered for any Customers. The Council has approximately 80,000 Customers throughout the county. A free collection for each Customer would cost the Council approximately €640,000.