DUBLIN CITY COUNCIL has agreed to pause the plan to replace bin bags with wheelie bins in areas of the city centre.

Dublin 7 residents staged a protest outside City Hall on Monday seeking a deferral of the proposed implementation in their area on 17 October. 

Councillors representing the area confirmed to The Journal today that the plan has been paused. 

Fine Gael Councillor Ray McAdam confirmed that Dublin City Council decided at a meeting this morning the plan will “not be proceeding as is”.

He said a working group will be established on the issue and an official note confirming the pause will be sent around this afternoon. 

Dublin Central TD Marie Sherlock welcomed the decision this afternoon and said “we now have a real opportunity to reform waste management once and for all”.

“This plan was ill thought out, did not consider the needs of the community, and was lacking in ambition for the sort of waste management service that our city deserves.”

She called for innovative solutions for waste management including “shared community collection” and to enhance “the accountability of waste management companies to local authorities”.

‘Rubbish plan’

Dublin City Council originally argued that the change was needed to tackle some of the issues with the use of bin bags for waste collection, including bags being torn open by seagulls and other wildlife. 

The switch to wheelie bins was being implemented in phases and has already been rolled out to some of the Dublin city centre area.

On Monday a group of roughly 100 people gathered on Parliament Street chanting “this plan is full of rubbish” and “Dublin 7 say it clear, wheelie bins aren’t welcome here”.

They argued that many houses in their area don’t have adequate space to store wheelie bins and that the bins could pose accessibility issues on footpaths in Dublin 7.

The area is made up of neighbourhoods like Stoneybatter, Smithfield and Phibsborough and many residents live in terraced houses on narrow streets, including many houses that don’t have front or back gardens for bin storage. 

Stoneybatter resident Christine Lucignano spoke to The Journal at the protest and said they want “a system of waste that doesn’t put our health at risk” and “doesn’t put the elderly or the disabled in danger on our footpaths”.

She criticised Dublin City Council’s communication on the issue and the cost increases they’re facing from the change.

She also said the reasoning being given to them over concerns about wildlife opening bin bags is a “stupid excuse” and not an issue she has observed in the area.

Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon also attended the protest and said the change is a “bad policy”.

“There’s been a lot of broken promises,” he continued.