Fee freeze for domestic cars at waste facility welcomed

By Maurice Garvey

COUNCILLORS angry at the surprise manner in which they discovered fees were going up at Ballymount Civic Amenity – have welcomed a decision by South Dublin County Council to negotiate a pay freeze for domestic cars with facility operators Panda.

Two weeks ago, The Echo reported how fees for Ballymount were set to increase by up to 20 per cent from August 1.

News of the impending increase filtered through to councillors on July 15, which was the first time many discovered that a service concession contract between Panda and the council had been in place since April 1.

According to the council, the Ballymount facility was operating at a loss of €500,000 a year.

Whilst a pay freeze has been negotiated for domestic cars – this is not the case for commercial vehicles.

Small vans, Hiaces and large vans, were all hit with an increase since Monday – now paying a charge of €42, €60, and €84, up from €35, €50 and €70 respectively.

A number of councillors asked South Dublin Mayor Gus O’Connell to convene a special meeting of the council on July 27, to freeze increases in view of the suspension of the pay-by-weight system.

Mayor O’Connell said the main concern for councillors was that the matter had not been discussed with them prior to news of the increase.

He acknowledges responsibility for waste management was removed from elected councillors, as a “regressive political decision made at national level” and is “now the responsibility of the Council Chief Executive.”

Mayor O’Connell said: “The Executive have to manage finances in an efficient manner and though councillors ‘pass’ the budget each year, certain operational decisions have to be made by the Executive.

“I fully acknowledge the right, indeed the responsibility of the Executive to manage waste in the county. It is our [councillors] contention that decisions such as the charges in Ballymount should be fully discussed by both the Specific Policy Committee (SPC) dealing with waste and with the council in session. Neither happened on this occasion.”

O’Connell says questions raised during the debate will have to be returned to, including the “possible connection between the availability and cost of such a facility, and the level of illegal dumping and associated cost to the taxpayer.”

Mayor O’Connell welcomed the decision to freeze domestic car prices, and said debating how waste is managed “will now have to be debated at the SPC and in the council chamber.”

A statement by SDCC said: “The Ballymount facility, which opened in 1997, is currently operating under contract between SDCC and Panda Waste.

“The new gate fees, which come about following a recent review of charges applicable at the Ballymount facility, have remained static since 2007.”

Details of the new gate fees are available at www.sdcc.ie under the ‘news’ section.