Waste charges set to rise due to EU Waste Management Directive

Waste charges in the State are set to rise further with at least a 34 per cent increase in the Dublin region over the next two to three years.

The increased charges, which will raise about €60 million annually in Dublin at 2004 rates - are due to the implementation of the EU Waste Management Directive which requires local authorities to recoup the full cost of the waste services they provide.

In the Dublin region covering Dublin South, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, Fingal and Dublin City, the cost of the waste service in 2004 was €176 million.

Just 66 per cent of this was recouped through charges to householders and commercial users.

Further pressure on charges in Dublin will also arise as the annual cost of waste services increases from €176 million to €211 million a year by 2010.

Launching the Draft Replacement Waste Management Plan for the Dublin Region 2005 to 2010 yesterday, environmental consultants RPS/MCOS revealed there may well be a third inflationary pressure on charges.

According to consultant Conall Boland, costs could rise if the proposed new regional landfill in north County Dublin is delayed.

Mr Boland warned of "a critical shortage of municipal capacity is imminent with the closure of Ballyogan in 2005, Arthurstown landfill in 2007 and Balleally landfill in 2008 approximately".

He said "additional environmental and transport costs" would arise if waste is transported outside the area. The strategy while identifying costs, did not identify the revenue sources. However, speaking to The Irish Times at the launch, the assistant Dublin City manager Mr Matt Twomey confirmed that the EU Directive on Waste Management requires the council to recoup the full cost from users of the waste service.

The four local authorities are effectively subsidising the waste service by almost €60 million per year but "this will change bit by bit" over the coming few years" according to Mr Twomey who is also chairman of the Dublin Region Waste Steering Group.

A spokesman for the Department of the Environment said most local authorities would be affected by the requirement to pass on the full cost of waste management services.