A REPORT by the Ombudsman into bin-tax waivers for vulnerable members of the community has concluded that the current system is a "shambles" and needs major reforms to ensure it is applied in a fair and equitable way.
At present, there are significant differences between local authorities across the State over who is entitled to bin waivers or how these waiver schemes are applied.
Some local authorities who handed over bin-collection services to private operators do not operate any bin waiver scheme.
The cost of bin taxes vary from between €150 to almost €500 a year. A report by the Ombudsman to be published today is understood to recommend a full review of schemes by the Department of the Environment. It says where a person lives, or who collects their rubbish, should not decide whether they can get a waiver or how much of the charge is set aside.
It will recommend that each local authority have a waiver scheme catering for hardship cases in a fair way. The review of bin waivers follows representations made by Fine Gael TD John Deasy, on behalf of residents in Waterford who felt the system had discriminated against them.
Mr Deasy said there were major problems with the waiver system put together by the county council.
"They have been completely ignored by senior management in Waterford and other parts of the country. At the very least, you would expect that a scheme which affects the least well off in society would be based on fairness and equity. In this case that standard was not met," Mr Deasy said.
He said Waterford's system was based on means-tested payments, but did not take into consideration non means-tested payments. "Effectively your neighbour might be receiving a larger social welfare payment than you, but you could end up with no waiver even though you are living on a lesser amount," Mr Deasy said.
