Dublin Corporation's plans, including its major waste management programme, have suffered a setback with the failure of the City Council to pass the 2001 estimates at an eight-hour meeting last night. The council rejected the city manager's plan to introduce a maximum £95 annual service charge for a new waste management system. The council now faces dissolution. Last night's eight-hour meeting was the fourth attempt in three weeks to resolve the funding issue, and featured acrimonious exchanges between the councillors and the city manager, Mr John Fitzgerald.
This morning, the Assistant City Manager, Mr Matt Twomey, said that it is likely that the Minister for the Environment, Noel Dempsey, will give the Council extra time to renegotiate and agree on the estimates. Speaking at the launch of a joint Dublin Corporation/Repak Christmas Recycling Campaign, Mr Twomey said that it is vital that the estimates are agreed soon so that schemes such as the new recycling plans can be put into operation.
As part of the Christmas campaign people can bring their Christmas cards, wrapping paper, cardboard, cans, glass and plastic to Dublin Corporation waste depots for recycling. This is the first year of the campaign and it is planned to liase with other local authorities to extend the scheme to other counties next year.
