A Louth Councillor has said he fears a free bins allowance for those in poverty might push up prices for other users.
Councillors on the local authority backed a Sinn Féin motion, urging the Government to establish a Waste Collection Allowance to help those struggling with the cost of living.
On Newstalk Breakfast, independent Councillor Ciarán Fisher said while he had backed the motion, he remained a “wee bit sceptical” about how it could be implemented.
“Like a lot of subsidies, usually when you put them in, they can have the effect of raising the cost of a product,” he argued.
“So, this was a Sinn Féin motion - and I did back it - but the idea would be that it would be means tested.
“But I would just start by saying I think that privatising the bin collection was a mistake because everybody needs a bin.
“And then there's a danger that the prices will keep rising if we create a subsidy for it.”
The Dundalk-Carlingford Councillor said he remains concerned about the “very, very small minority” of people who do not sign up for waste collection, noting that illegal dumping remains a serious problem in the county.
“Louth County Council effectively has people whose job it is to all day, every day, during the working day, are going around picking up a mess for this,” he said.
“So, we're incurring a significant cost for people that don't have bins - it is in our interest to solve this.”
Cllr Fisher added that while he remains concerned about the plight of those who are disabled or living in poverty, he worries about the impact of a new social welfare benefit on a privatised service.
“If it was assumed that every property had a bin, if it was, say, paid through the local property tax, then it becomes a source of income for us,” he said.
“It gives us that rigour that we need with regards to maybe if somebody did fall in hardship, that we could work it out, I suppose, locally, as opposed to providing a subsidy where the profits would go to a private company.
“So, I'm very sympathetic for helping those that are on welfare or disability or struggling.
“But I would just be conscious that an allowance paid into a private system would push the prices higher.”
Main image: Bins for collection. Picture by: Alamy.com.
