Protesters resume anti-bin charge campaign

Protesters resumed their campaign of disrupting refuse collections across south Dublin yesterday, and warned they were prepared to return to the courts.

Hundreds of anti-bin tax campaigners surrounded South Dublin County Council bin lorries in Tallaght, Palmerstown and Lucan to force workers to collect rubbish from householders who had not paid their waste charges.

The council this week moved from charging householders an annual rate of €190 to a "pay-by-volume" system. It obliges them to attach €6 tags to their bins. If these or waiver labels are not displayed, bins will not be collected.

Protesters gathered in groups of 30 from 7 a.m. yesterday to intercept the lorries, said campaigner Ms Lisa Maher.

"We've been out slowing down the trucks, and helping the residents to throw their bags in when the bin men wouldn't take them. We will be out doing this every morning this week and again next week until the council decides to scrap this tax, and I think the councillors will if they want to be around after the local elections."

Gardaí were called to a number of estates yesterday, and some protesters had their names noted. However, Ms Maher said the protesters were not worried."Yes, we can be taken to court, and sent to jail if we don't apologise, but people can just go in and apologise in court and that's it, people aren't worried about jailing."

Council officer Mr Garry Keogh said protesters obstructed six of its 13 lorries yesterday.Thousands of householders had their collection delayed, and some had no collection.

Despite protesters' claims that few bags were tagged, Mr Keogh said the majority had paid charges and arrears. "Of the 75,000 households, only 15,000 haven't paid and 4,000 or 5,000 of them are probably entitled to waivers."