Costello Opposes Bin Charges

1 September 2001

by Cllr Joe Costello

Dublin Corporation has now issued demands for £65 to all households in the North Inner City electoral area for the collection of household waste. I am totally opposed to these new waste charges or bin charges. They are a form of double taxation. There is no extra service being provided to households; there is no waste management; there is no recycling; there is no reduction of waste. You will simply have the same old system of black plastic bag collection. What is required urgently is a national waste management plan to encourage and reward recycling, reduction and re-use, and to promote awareness of, and respect for the environment. The government is trying to squeeze more money out of domestic householders at a time when the State coffers are overflowing with money. The government is conning the people by saying that it is reducing the tax burden yet, at the same time, it is introducing an entirely new tax on all households irrespective of the size of family. The Labour Party abolished water charges in 1996. Last year we opposed the introduction of new charges for the collection of household waste by Dublin Corporation and we are now leading the campaign to have them abolished and to have a proper waste management strategy implemented that rewards, not penalises, the householder. If you support our campaign please cut and paste the following form and email it to me at joe_costello@oireachtas.irlgov.ie or send it to me at Seanad Éireann, Kildare Street, Dublin 2, or drop it into one of my Advice Centres (see advice centres for details) “I oppose the introduction of new service charges for the collection of household waste and I support the campaign to abolish them” Name:…………………………………….. Address:…………………………………………………………….. Telephone No:…………………………….