Council refuses to replace pensioner’s damaged rubbish bin

15 August 2012 - by Ciara Colhoun

COUNCIL officials have refused to grant a free replacement bin to an elderly man after her own bin was vandalised.

South Down MP Margaret Ritchie had urged the council, which does not grant free replacement bins, to make an exception in the case of the Downpatrick pensioner.

But officials have advised against the request, which they warn could open the “flood gates” for similar requests.

Ms. Ritchie has asked the council to urgently consider her request for the replacement bin, warning that many people, including the elderly or infirm, may not be able

to afford a second bin if their first one is lost or damaged.

Council director, Mr. Canice O’Rourke, told a meeting of the council’s environment committee last week that the request was against council policy.

He said Ms. Ritchie had insisted that the issue be brought to the committee despite the fact that it is against policy and could lead to hundreds of similar requests.

“This would open the flood gates and is against our policy,” he said.

“There would also be an issue in terms of equality as we cannot do one thing for an elderly person and not do the same for other groups.

“If we do this there will be hundreds of requests for lost bins every week.”

Mr. O’Rourke said he also recommended that the committee reject a second request from Ms. Ritchie for a new bin to be installed in Crossgar and warned he had dozens of similar requests pending from across the district, which would also have to be accepted if Crossgar got an extra bin.

Councillor Maria McCarthy said she was unsure about the best way forward and said she understood that the council needed to adhere to its policy while being mindful of its budget.

However, she said ratepayers had a right to expect clean streets and to have their bins collected. “I am struggling to find a way forward,” she said.

Councillor Eamonn O’Neill, who chaired Wednesday’s meeting, suggested asking local charities to see if they could help purchase bins in exceptional circumstances for the elderly.

“It is difficult to find a way forward,” he said.

“We should see if we can work with charitable bodies to see if people can get help that way,” he suggested.

Following last week’s meeting, Miss Ritchie said she understood the equality legislation and the need to treat all groups equally.

However, she said she believed this was a humanitarian issue and said she would address it directly with the Environment Minister.

“Without a bin this man cannot have his waste collected and that is a humanitarian issue,” she said.

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