Increase in bin charges for Dublin

Dublin City Council has passed the budget for 2005 by 30 votes to 15, despite the inclusion of controversial increased bin charges.

The 10 Sinn Féin members opposed passing the budget, as did the Independent councillors Mick Rafferty, Joan Collins, and Vincent Jackson. Labour councillors Eric Byrne and Emer Costello also opposed it.

Twelve Fianna Fáil councillors had been expected to abstain from the vote after losing control of the council following the last local elections. However a majority voted in favour of the budget following amendments.

These related to increased money for gulley-clearing and a pledge by the city manager Mr John Fitzgerald to review the efficiency of the waste management charges and the possible introduction of a tag system. This would involve charging by individual bins/bags.

The budget vote was supported by a majority of Labour, Fine Gael, and Fianna Fáil councillors as well as the only PD councilllor, Ms Wendy Hederman, and the only Green councillor, Ms Bronwen Maher.

Power to decide the waste management charge is no longer a responsibility of councillors but may be decided by Mr Fitzgerald, who last week announced a new maximum charge of €340. This could see some householders paying €155 more than in 2004.

The leader of the council's Sinn Féin group, Cllr Christy Burke, said it was "undemocratic" to force councillors to vote on a budget when such an important aspect as the increase in charges had already been decided by the city manager.

The Sinn Féin group would not have had a problem with the book of estimates if this charge was not included, he said.

"The manager will probably be responsible for illegal dumping, People will dump illegally because of this charge," he said. He added that it was "outrageous" that the waste charges for 2005 had already been signed off on.

Labour group leader Cllr Kevin Humphreys said the Labour party remained opposed to the waste charges but that this was not an issue that the councillors had powers to decide on anymore.

"This vote is not about bin charges. That was already signed off on a week ago," he said.

A group of about 150 bin-charge protesters gathered outside the meeting at City Hall for two hours last night. Fine Gael group leader Cllr Gerry Breen said the protesters has been misled and were ill-informed as to the purpose of last night's meeting. "Maybe someone could tell the group of people outside that there's a lot more to these estimates than bin charges," he said.

The city manager said householders who would suffer hardship through payment of the charges would be given a waiver.