Some bin collectors are 'refusing' to operate in remote parts of Mayo

A councillor has called on bin collectors to provide a full service after stating that bin collections were being refused in parts of West Mayo.

Cllr John O'Malley told a meeting of Westport-Belmullet Municipal District that homeowners in Aughagower, Sraheen and Drummin were refused a service despite being "quite willing to pay for a service but nobody was willing to do it".

“One woman is having to go all the way to Derrinumera [waste facility] to dump rubbish. Some people can’t make it to there. Is is costing them. They need a service in their own area. I think anyone that gets a licence to collect rubbish should serve all the people and not just go where it is handy for them. Those people are entitled to bin collection and it is not fair to put them under pressure to dump it somewhere else or burn it,” he said.

Cllr Chris Maxwell said oil trucks have no problem getting to Sraheen, near Aughagower so why not bin trucks?

"It is essential in this day and age that these trucks go there and pick up the rubbish.” 

Cllr Sean Carey said he was aware of a similar problem in Erris. 

“When someone is providing a service, they should provide it to anybody. People have refuse for collection. One woman has to bring it to her daughter 40 miles away to get it collected.” 

Acting head of the district Jim Power said: “We will certainly raise this with the environmental section in the council and see can we get a response on that.”