Sligo has country’s highest bin charges

national | bin tax / household tax / water tax | news report

Wednesday September 24, 2003 09:36

by Allen - LP

MANY householders in Sligo have the unenviable distinction of paying the highest bin charges in the country, according to a national survey published last week. (thanks to SF and FF)

While protests continue in parts of Dublin over having to pay as little as E154 a year, they should count themselves very lucky. There are people in Sligo paying E520 a year for the same service.
Since the privatisation of the refuse collection service there are now a range of charges throughout Sligo town and county, with a number of different operators.
It is true that in many areas the recycling facilities now available do give people the option of cutting down on their bin collection charges if they are in an area where payment is on a per bag basis.
However, there are still people who only have the option of a fixed wheelie bin charge and this costs over E500 a year.
Also where bags are available many families, particularly if they are not into recycling, are buying the large wheelie bin bag on a weekly basis. These cost in the region of E8-E10, so that amounts in a year to E400-E500.
Charges are also high in Leitrim with an annual charge for a 240 litre bin.
However, in other neighbouring counties bin services are substantially cheaper.
In Mayo, there is an annual cost of E320 for a 240 litre bin, while in Roscommon collectors charge around E375 for the same size bin. In Donegal you will pay an annual charge of about E300 for a 240 litre bin and there is the option of buying smaller bags, costing less than E4.
Dublin city has the country’s lowest annual charge at E154 for a 240 litre bin.
In other areas of Dublin annual charges range from E195 to about E250.
Aside from Leitrim, only in Carlow, Kilkenny and Westmeath do householders have to pay over E400 in the year.
Elsewhere, they range from as low as E270 for the 240 litre bin in Louth to an average of about E350.
The fact that Sligo does not have its own landfill dump and the refuse collectors have to transport all rubbish collected in the county to Mayo does obviously add to the Sligo costs.