Sinn Féin has repeated calls on government to join the growing numbers of cities around Europe who have (re)municipalised their waste collection services and take the bins back under public control.

Speaking at an Oireachtas briefing chaired by Sinn Féin as part of the cross-parliamentary working group on the (re)municipalisation of waste, chair of Dublin City Council’s (Re)municipalisation Working Group, Cllr Daithí Doolan said:

“Dublin is the wild west of waste collection services in Europe.

“Day in day out, multiple trucks clamour down the same street, often forgetting to collect various bins and causing great nuisance to local communities.

“It is increasingly clear that the government’s privatised approach is not fit for purpose. It hampers efficiency, drives up emissions and exacerbates local traffic congestion.

“To add insult to injury, the scourge of illegal dumping is at an all-time high. Rubbish is often left to fester on streets for days on end. The government’s failure to invest in a comprehensive public waste management strategy has rendered city and county councils all over the country ill-equipped and under-resourced when it comes to dealing with the issue.

“The government’s approach to waste management does not serve the interest of householders or the environment. This cannot be allowed to continue. The public deserves better than this.”

Commenting on Sinn Féin’s approach to waste management, Sinn Féin spokesperson on Climate Action and the Environment, Deputy O’Rourke, said:

“Across Europe, the momentum is behind taking local services back under the control of local authorities. Sinn Féin believe Ireland should become part of that change and to take the bin service back into public ownership.

“In our alternative budget for 2024, we proposed the creation of a pilot scheme for the (re)municipalisation of waste collection services. We were the only party to commit funding to this type of measure.

“Fundamentally, we believe that bringing the bins back under public control will be a benefit to householders struggling with the cost-of-living crisis and will also benefit tackling climate change.”