Elderly couple’s refuse plight

Elderly couple’s refuse plight

Claire Egan

AN ELDERLY Claremorris couple are faced with the long-term prospect of towing their refuse bin 500 metres down a country lane with an electric scooter to meet their private refuse collector – or else leave their rubbish by their house.
Peter and Rose Finn, who are in their late seventies and live at Barnagreggaun, Claremorris, a short distance from the Beaten Path, told The Mayo News that their difficulties have arisen since the conclusion of refuse services by Mayo County Council.
They tried repeatedly to secure private refuse services but initial attempts failed, due to the location of the couple’s house, with companies citing the economic unviability of offering a service in a remote rural area.
In fact, one Tuam-based company deposited refuse bins at the couple’s house but, following two collections, discontinued the service. Recently, Peter and Rose have contracted the services of Ballinrobe Waste, but the company has been unable to provide the same level of service as Mayo County Council.
“The Council took a route to our house from the Balla/Mayo Abbey direction and were able to go under the railway bridge at the end of our road, but the new company are not able to do this,” said Peter.
The couple acknowledge that when they paid €250 in refuse charges to the private bin company they were aware of the terms of the agreement, which included travelling over 500 metres down a laneway from their home to leave out their refuse bin for collection.
However, Mr Finn is a full-time carer for his wife Rose, who is wheelchair-bound and he also suffers from severe arthritis, which reduces his mobility.
“I have had a knee replacement and also suffer from severe arthritis so I am very limited in my movement. Last week I tied the refuse bin to my wife’s electric scooter and towed it down the road. However, I cannot keep doing this long-term. What happens when the weather is bad and it is pouring rain?”
Ballinrobe Waste company director Mr Michael Monaghan explained to The Mayo News that, due to a narrow railway bridge near the couple’s home, the refuse lorry is unable to gain access. He said that every effort had been made to improve the situation, explaining that he had offered the couple the option of depositing their refuse at the end of the road in plastic bags, which would then be collected by Ballinrobe Waste.
However, Mr Finn explained that this was a wholly unsatisfactory long-term solution and would prove very inconvenient.
Mr Monaghan told The Mayo News that he had attempted to resolve the situation whereby the home help service at the Finn residence could place the household rubbish at the end of the road. However, he had not received any confirmation regarding this proposal from either party.
Mr Monaghan also explained that the company had considered sending a small company van to collect the couple’s rubbish, but concluded that this was not a viable long-term option.
The refuse issue, is one which Sinn Féin councillor Mr Gerry Murray says is causing severe unrest around the county. When contacted by The Mayo News, he explained that there is extreme dissatisfaction among the electorate regarding the discontinuation of refuse services by Mayo County Council.
“The elderly and most vulnerable members of our society are the ones most affected by this issue. Once a service is privatised different issues come into play, particularly in rural areas where there is no economy of scale and population is dispersed. Furthermore, in light of the discontinuation of the service, dumping in rural areas has now become a problem, ” said Cllr Murray.
According to the Mayo General Election candidate, plans are afoot by a subsidiary of the National Toll Roads Authority, called Green Star to acquire a number of private refuse operators in the county. He told The Mayo News that he intended to raise this issue at today’s (Wednesday’s) Strategic Policy Committee meeting on Environmental and Emergency Services.
“A private monopoly is a worst-case scenario and one which doesn’t work. Private operators are completely inflexible. There will be more cases like the Finns arising in the near future if the situation continues with people encountering huge difficulties with the quality of service and also costs,” said Cllr Murray.