Greyhound settles court action against Dublin council over bin contract with competitor

Waste collector says council accepted an ‘abnormally low’ €6.4m tender

Waste collection firm Greyhound has settled a High Court action against Dublin City Council over the awarding of a multimillion euro bin service contract to a competitor.

Greyhound Household Unlimited Co had claimed the council accepted an “abnormally low” €6.4 million tender for the bin service to its senior citizen flat complexes, Traveller accommodation and certain other designated council residential properties.

Greyhound brought a legal challenge against the council over the awarding of the contract to rival firm Starrus Eco Holdings Ltd, trading as Panda, which was a notice party in the action.

The case was admitted to the fast-track commercial division last March on the application of the council.

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Greyhound claimed tender invitations for the new contract, which lasts four years, were invited early last year and put its value at €10 million to €11 million. The council decided last February to award the contract to Panda.

Greyhound brought proceedings seeking orders and declarations quashing the decision and claiming it was invalid because it was reached on foot of a manifest error.

It sought a declaration, if necessary, that the scores awarded to Panda in assessing the tenders were in error and breached the principles of transparency, equal treatment and proportionality.

The council opposed the challenge and said as a result of the Greyhound proceedings it had been unable to conclude the contract with Panda.

Four days had been earmarked for the hearing of the case this month.

On Monday, Mr Justice Denis McDonald, after being told the case had been settled, congratulated the parties and struck out the proceedings.