Council votes for budget that brings in waste charges for poor

DUBLIN CITY councillors have voted by a two-to-one majority in favour of a budget that includes the introduction of waste charges for 40,000 of Dublin’s poorest households for the first time.

The budget also includes a cut of more than 50 per cent in investment in city infrastructure for the next three years. The motion to pass the budget was proposed by Sinn Féin’s Killian Forde, whose party has previously refused to accept the charges for householders of any income.

Fianna Fáil councillors voted against the budget. Speaking on behalf of the Fianna Fáil group, Mary Fitzpatrick said the changes to the waste charge targeted the “disabled, the poor and the unemployed”.

Low income households have been exempt from paying for refuse collection since the charges were introduced. Their introduction in 2001 resulted in several years of protests which disrupted services and during which Socialists MEP Joe Higgins, then a TD, and Fingal councillor Clare Daly were jailed.

City manager John Tierney told the council the “generous waiver scheme” had provided no incentive for recipients to reduce their household waste. “It is noted that the presentation rate of waste output for households benefiting from a waiver is almost double that of households not benefiting from a waiver,” he said.

In the 2010 budget those on waivers would remain exempt from an annual fee, but would have to pay charges of up to €6 each time their bin was emptied, which if paid, could generate €8 million a year for the council.

The council’s annual budget has fallen from €928 million in 2009 to €867 million for 2010, while the three-year capital budget for infrastructural development is being cut from €1,860 million to €893 million. The annual budget for 2010 reflects a cut of about 9.3 per cent in the local government fund, which is one of the city’s main sources of funding, to €88.7 million. It includes a cut of 2 per cent in the business rates the council levies.

Public service pay cuts announced by Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan in the national Budget earlier this month will save the council €18 million next year as the council is being permitted to retain 65 per cent of the value of the cut.

However, Mr Tierney criticised the failure of the Government to allow the council to keep any of the pension levy. “Failure to apply 75 per cent retention under both headings represents a significant loss to the city council,” he said.