In response to a request from the Fianna Fail group on Dublin City Council a special meeting was held on January 23rd 2012 to consider Dublin City Council’s withdrawal from the Waste Collection Service in the City.

At the meeting the Fianna Fail group proposed a number of motions including one that called on the Competition Authority to review the decision by the City Manager and the resulting competitive market. The motion was passed. In response to this motion the Competition Authority wrote to the Local Authorities in the Dublin area seeking detailed information.

I contacted the Competition Authority last week seeking an update on their review. This morning I received confirmation from the Competition Authority that they have received my request and brought it to the attention of Ms Isolde Goggin, Chairperson of the Competition Authority.

Earlier this year I asked Dublin City Manager to demonstrate that there is real competition and choice for consumers with it comes to waste collection services in the Central Area.  I asked that DCC would produce a map that shows the waste collection operators providing service on each street in the Central Area and to identify which streets had only one operator.  The City Manager replied that “DCC has no specific information in relation to areas serviced by individual waste collection operators. However the City Council website has a list of companies granted a Waste Collection Permit.  “.  This reply is very unsatisfactory because it means DCC has no idea what level of waste collection service is available in the city where it is the Authority charged with arranging for waste collection. 

I will continue to address this matter and seek a better solution for the City. 

Mary