Letter to Irish Times Bins protests and the Law

by Fingallian Sun Sep 28, 2003 17:56

There is a quote from Ruth Coppinger in todays Sunday Business Post saying "Campaign spokesperson, councillor Ruth Coppinger acknowledged that the campaign could not run indefinitely, but said next year's local elections will force the government to change policy. "People will protest, there will be lots of pressure and this will continue in the run up to the general election. We are very determined and that is going to be a major weapon" she said.

Refues collection is back to 99 per cent in Dublin City and 95 per cent in Fingal. Are we to take it that the active side of the protest is now over and only electioneering remains?

If so, are there any views on how the short life of this campaign will affect confidence in SP SWP etc

by All bins or no bins! Sun Sep 28, 2003 21:17

It is obvious that the blockades can't run forever. Either they will force the councils to abandon non-collection or they won't. It's as simple as that and hardly big news.

Your statistics are completely incorrect too. Everybodies bins are being collected in the city area except when they are hit by solidarity blockades. There has been no attempt to bring collection to a halt there.

In Fingal the Council aren't even trying to go into a whole host of working class areas. The claims made by the Council about how many bins they collected last week are false, just as they have made a whole series of false claims about how many are paying. On Monday yet more blockades will be held.

As for whether this will "shake confidence" in the Socialist Party, I very much doubt it though its hardly a central issue.

The campaign in Fingal has given working class people a real boost. For the first time in a long time people have stood up and fought the establishment toe to toe. To the extent that the SP have played a very significant role in the campaign I'm sure they will benefit but frankly, who cares? Win or lose people are reestablishing a tradition of struggle that had been badly eroded by a decade and a half of so-called "partnership".

by Orla Ni Chomhrai - SWP Mon Sep 29, 2003 02:28

There was an article in the Irish Times on Saturday by Tim O'Brien'There's no such thing as a free bin - and Cullen knows it- Those who think 'pay-by-weight' bin charges would mean the end of fixed charges are mistaken'

He says that Cullen's call to 'all local authorities to move to a weight-based refuse system is a cynical exercise designed to make bin charges look fairer than they are'

He points out that where this system is in place in Cork and Monaghan, there is a basic flat fee first, and on top of that then there is the pay by weight. In Cork the Flat Fee is Euro 160,and the rest of the bill is payment by weight. In Monaghan the Flat Fee is Euro 170, then there are payments by weight added on to that.

He says that both here and in Europe the ratio of the flat rate, to the weight based cost is about 50:50.

by Fingallian Mon Sep 29, 2003 12:17

Reading postings on this site I wonder how many people adding to the debate actually live in Fingal? I live in Brookhaven and havent had a collection in two weeks. I now have to go to Lusk to dump my rubbish. What about democracy? I want my rubbish collected and pay my tag.

by Ciaran Mon Sep 29, 2003 14:54 Clonsilla

I live in Clonsilla and haven't had a bin collected in 3 weeks.
People are starting to leave their rubbish on the streets and its becoming a mess.
On Sat. night i saw some kids/teens taking the bins and burning the rubbish for their fire as they sat drinking in parks etc etc.

On Sun. morning the place was a mess and still is.

Ciaran

by pat c Mon Sep 29, 2003 16:54

be enviornmentally friendly: dump it in the gardens of Green Party members.

by iosaf Mon Sep 29, 2003 17:28

If you are engaged in a campaign about municipal authority service charges, then don't go looking like you can't clean up after yourselves.

Or is it just anti-anti-anti-anti?
You know how to recycle and how to pool resources and so do it. I doubt anyone will care if the hygeine drops so far below acceptable, they sent your elected representative to a prison which still degrades every inmate and worker within with the smell of exretea.

write something on it? call in the Zoo?

by pat c Mon Sep 29, 2003 17:44

the campaign is not responsible for refuse not collected by the council.

by Ciaran Tue Sep 30, 2003 14:40

I have no problems with the bins not getting collected as i have hardly any rubbish to throw out.I recycle everything that i can and use less then 1 bag a week.

I know of a case where a family with 4 kids all under 13 and they go thru alot of waste but try do their part in recycling but they have alot of waste just sitting there in their back yard.

They have no car so they don't have the option of bringing it to a dump etc etc.

by john mcDermott - me Wed Oct 01, 2003 00:47 jmcd33 at eircom dot net 56 martin savage park dublin 15 8680717

why doesnt everyone haul their rubbish to the houses of the local fianna fail councillors and dump their uncollected rubbish!I am dead serious!
Lets do it !