Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It is clear that there is pride in the community of Ballymun. Those who litter or dump illegally strike at the very heart of the community. There are many reasons for the litter problem in Ballymun. I have outlined a number of them. There are many reasons to be proud of Ballymun. There is a great community spirit and sense of community there. This report, which is negative about Ballymun, does not reflect on the many positive aspects of the area. The problem is not insolvable. It will require actions and determinations from the council working with the community. When I was a councillor, refuse was collected far more frequently. A planned timetable was put in place to ensure each area and each street received a refuse collection service on a weekly basis. The situation across the entire city has deteriorated since we moved away from that approach. We have stepped backwards from putting bins into parks and in front of shops. They have been taken away in certain areas because people were dumping large quantities of rubbish in them. That step backwards has helped to increase the amount of litter and illegal stuff thrown around the place across Ballymun and other areas. It is clear that the privatisation of the service in Dublin City Council has not worked. When the city council was in charge, we did not have the problems we have now. Those problems have escalated since the city council service was privatised. Dublin City Council is paying extra money on top of that. The Minister has put in extra money as well. The private services are there. The Minister is putting money in. Dublin City Council and the Minister are making top-up payments. The situation has deteriorated over the years nonetheless. I think it is mad. We should consider the possibility of returning this service to the control of local authorities.

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