Almost 10,000 solicitors' letters have been issued to bin tax defaulters by Dublin City Council for recovery of charges for the past three years.
The debt collection section of Ivor Fitzpatrick, the council's solicitors, has issued the letters in the past six months, resulting in payments of almost €750,000 by some 2,000 householders.
A sample of defaulters in Dublin 4, 6, 6W, 3, 5, 7 and 9 who ignored bill warnings, or who paid for the service in 2001 but not thereafter, were issued with the letters.
Mr Jim Dowling, senior executive officer, with the waste management service said the council had received 180 court judgments in its favour against defaulters since it began prosecuting cases in September 2002. He said there was now about 85 per cent compliance and in 2001 the council received €5.4 million in bin charge revenues. This had more than doubled to €11.2 million in 2003.
Bin charges opponent, Dublin North-East Labour TD, Mr Tommy Broughan believed fewer than 50 per cent of householders in council areas paid the charge and claimed the city manager was trying to "put the fear of God into people".
Mr Dowling who has responsibility for waste services revenue said that "if anyone knows how much is being paid, I do".
Bills for 2004 will go out over the next few weeks. He said that last year bin tax bills were sent to 120,000 customers. A further 44,000 householders are exempted including pensioners and those in social disadvantage.
"Bin charges are here to stay ," he said. Under the new electronic tagging system, apartment blocks using collective large steel bins, will be charged based on the number of times those 1,100 litre-capacity bins are filled, regardless of the amount of rubbish from individual residents.
"How else would you do it? This is the best way for fairness," said Mr Kevin Lynch, senior executive engineer. Discounts will be agreed with management companies and the cost will be absorbed by individual residents' service charge.
