Council ready to consider scrapping bin waiver scheme

Athlone Town Council is to consider scrapping the bin waiver scheme at a special meeting, which will be held in private, next Tuesday afternoon. It could leave hard-pressed households, who currently enjoy discounted or free bin tags, paying the full cost of refuse collection. It's part of a move to withdraw entirely from the waste collection service in the county, and to hand over the operations to the private sector. At present, the council has contracted out its refuse collection service to a private firm, but retains some degree of control over pricing and waivers. The council had been due to discuss a report on waste collection and disposal at Monday evening's October monthly meeting, but the discussion was adjourned as councillors instead opted to discuss the matter in-committee next week with the Environment Director of Services Ray Kenny. It is understood the report, which has been circulated to councillors, will recommend that the council withdraws from waste collection as the scheme has become economically unviable. The issue came up for discussion at Westmeath County Council's monthly meeting last week, but councillors also opted to discuss the matter in private and a meeting will be held on October 19. The Westmeath Independent understands the waiver scheme is currently costing in the region of €180,000 in Athlone and over €500,000 across the county, and while councillors are reluctant to agree to such drastic measures they may be left with no other option in order to balance the books. Councillors across the county are divided on the issue but it is likely agreement between Athlone Town Council and Westmeath County Council on the issue will be necessary as the scheme is predominantly run by the county council. At Monday's meeting Mayor Mark Cooney (FG) said: "Given the nature of this and what has to be considered I think it's appropriate that we have a meeting with who is responsible for this." Fianna Fáil's Cllr Kieran Molloy said: "Yes, I think we need to know more about the alternatives and costs." Cllr Paul Hogan (SF) agreed, saying he would like to have the experts' opinions. He asked whether the councillors had much say whether it went ahead or not. Director of Services Barry Kehoe said the executive wouldn't make a decision without the approval of the members and said both councils needed to approve it. Cllr Molloy asked: "If the county is in favour and we're not can we go one way and they go the other?" Mr Kehoe said all options would have to be discussed. Cllr Molloy proposed adjourning the consideration of the report until the councillors met with the Environment Director and his party colleague Cllr Aengus O'Rourke supported his proposal. Speaking to the Westmeath Independent yesterday (Tuesday) on the issue Cllr Molloy said the council would be facing huge difficulties at estimates time if they continued with the scheme as it is at present. He said private companies were offering a cheaper service than the council and if the councillors opted for privatisation it wouldn't be as expensive for customers. However, he added that concillors were greatly concerned about customers on the waiver scheme and said perhaps a phasing out of the scheme could be looked at. His party colleague Cllr Aengus O'Rourke had tabled a motion on the issue of waste collection last month, suggesting that the council privatised waste collection with a waiver scheme built into the contract awarded. When contacted yesterday afternoon he said he still believed this was feasible. "The burning issue is the waiver scheme. I think we shouldn't exit the waiver scheme, but there is a way of streamlining it," he said. Cllr O'Rourke said the council needed to put it out to private operators and get the most competitive. He added that there were other means of operating a waiver scheme other than putting tags on bins and suggested bar coding bins and giving those on the waiver scheme a certain allocation per year. "There are great ways to modernise the system," he said.