Clean up this bin mess or we will revolt, warn TDs
As waste collection row escalates furious FG backbenchers put pressure on Coveney to bring bin operators to heel
FINE Gael backbenchers who were ‘walked all over’ by ministers in the last government have pressured Simon Coveney to take control of the bin charges controversy.
Minister Coveney is expected to announce early this week either the suspension of the pay-by-weight refuse system or a price cap.
The Minister for Planning and Local Government was warned by the chairman of the Fine Gael parliamentary party at a meeting that Fine Gael backbenchers were furious over proposed hikes in bin charges.
Fine Gael parliamentary party chairman Martin Heydon told the Mr Coveney that there were fears among Fine Gael backbenchers that ‘bin charges were in danger of becoming the new water charges’ and that they wouldn’t stay quiet and watch the same mistakes repeated again.
This, and the growing public backlash, led Mr Coveney to move forward crisis talks with the refuse industry representatives.
At a meeting in Athlone on Friday evening, Mr Coveney warned waste management companies that the Government would not tolerate significant increases in bin-collection charges.
Mr Coveney is expected to announce his response on Monday or Tuesday, which is expected to involve suspending the new pay-by-weight system of charges which was due to come into effect on July 1, or introducing a maximum cap on the charges.
The meeting was also attended by Bord na Mona, the City Bin Company, Clean Ireland, Greenstar, Greyhound, Mulleady’s Waste, Panda Waste and Thorntons, as well as Government officials and Junior Minister Seán Kyne.
Mr Heydon told the Irish Mail on Sunday that he had outlined backbenchers’ deep concern to Mr Coveney that already hardpressed householders could end up paying significantly more under the new charging system. He said: ‘I met with Minister Coveney last Thursday and I articulated a lot of the concerns Fine Gael TDs and senators had and brought forward some of the suggested solutions to him.
‘Minister Coveney undertook to meet with the industry representatives on Friday. He hadn’t been due to meet with them until next week. He will try to find a solution as soon as possible – he definitely took on board the concerns of the parliamentary party.’
One Fine Gael TD told the MoS that there was a feeling among the parliamentary party that they ‘were walked all over’ by ministers in the last Dáil.
‘We knew that water was going to cause us huge problems. We weren’t strong enough about it at the parliamentary party and we lost the initiative. Water charges cost us 20 seats,’ the TD said. ‘We were determined not to let this bin charges thing get out of control,’ he added.
Mr Coveney, a potential leader of Fine Gael, moved quickly once he became aware of the concerns of backbenchers. Louth TD Fergus O’Dowd and Dublin North West TD
Noel Rock were particularly vocal on the issue. ‘This week on the bin charges issue, every Fine Gael TD has gotten heat over the bin charges,’ added a TD.
‘It has the feelings of how Irish Water felt at the start.
‘But the characterisation of that issue was Fine Gael backbenchers rolled over and did what the minister wanted. We will not allow
‘It feels like how Irish Water did at the start’ ‘Someone took the eye off the ball’
Fianna Fáil or Sinn Féin to take credit for getting this reversed,’ said a TD.
There is a belief that the long delay before forming a Government allowed waste management to dictate new charges without oversight.
The Fine Gael TD said: ‘Part of the problem was the abeyance of government, with the Department Environment out of action. Now the figures come out and we’re asking, “How did that happen?”
‘Somewhere someone took the eye off the ball. Bring the companies to heel. The option is to tender for one company for a particular area.’