Bin Tax Cork - Pays To Resist

Non-payment of bin charges remains very high despite the Council’s bullying tactics and the introduction of a ‘pay or we won’t collect’ policy

Resistance Pays… Cork Anti-Bins

Figures released by Cork City Council confirm that the non-payment of bin charges remains very high despite the Council’s bullying tactics and the introduction of a ‘pay or we won’t collect’ policy. In 2003, almost 35% of the city’s population were still refusing to pay the exorbitant tax. The figures (from the Council’s own records) released in advance of a Freedom of Information request also confirm that non-payment peaked in the aftermath of the victory by Householders Against Service Charges (HASC) arising from its campaign of dumping uncollected domestic rubbish outside Cork’s City Hall. In 2001 over 40% of people were refusing to pay and this climbed to just under 49% the following year (2002). In 2003, following a convenient change in the law, city councils in Dublin and Cork renewed their efforts to introduce the ‘double-tax’. This led to widespread threats and bullying by the city council. Nevertheless the records show that the Council’s effort to claw back the level of non-payment was successful only to the extent that it dramatically increased the ‘waiver’ scheme contribution, which rose to 23% of the total collectable bin tax in Cork city or 35% of all monies actually received! The message is, it pays to resist …

Figures for collection of Bin Tax in Cork – 1999-2003

Collectable Cork Bin Tax (euros): 4.7 million (1999); 0.6 m.(2000); 8.5 m (2001); 11.3 m (2002); 19.4 m. (2003)
% Actually Collected: 63.5 % (1999); 67.2 %.(2000); 59.8 % (2001); 51.3 % (2002); 65.3 % (2003)
% Allowed Waiver: 13.6 % (1999); 14.4 % (2000); 13.4 % (2001); 11.2 % (2002); 23.0 % (2003)