COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF CLONDALKIN AREA COMMITTEE

Wednesday, June 16, 2021

MOTION NO. 24

MOTION: Councillor William Joseph Carey

"That this Area Committee agrees that active consideration be given by South Dublin County Council to organise bulk waste collections within high problem areas in an effort to reduce the need for constant waste collections around illegal dumping."

REPORT:

Household junk collections were discontinued by South Dublin County Council in 2008. At that time the service was provided to approximately 20,000 houses per year at an annual cost of over €500,000 to the Council.  This annual cost could not be sustained and therefore the service was discontinued. The junk collection service was provided at a frequency of once in every three years to homes located in RAPID areas, and once in every five years to all other areas.

No charge was levied for the junk collection when it was provided previously, and this conflicts with the "Polluter Pays Principle".  To reintroduce the service now on a similar basis would be in direct conflict with National and EU waste policy, and the Eastern Midlands Region Waste Management Plan.

South Dublin County Council has in recent years made successful applications under The Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications Anti-Dumping Initiative. In 2020, for example, funding provided for a mattress amnesty resulted in over 1,000 being collected. The Council has again been successful in securing funding under this initiative in 2021 for a further mattress amnesty. Funding has also been secured to support the establishment of a pilot subsidised bulky item collection service project which will be provided by a social enterprise.