‘Bin the early morning starts’plea to waste firms

It’s the noise that has disturbed many a sound sleep: the rumbling, scraping, banging, clanging and then, that final roar of the accelerator as the refuse collectors do a pre-dawn collection - and Cllr Ken Glynn reckons it’s just not on.

At the June meeting of the Municipal District of Mullingar Kinnegad, Cllr Glynn proposed that the district instruct all bin collection companies to stop collecting in residential areas at early hours of the morning.

The official written response from the district stated that in fact operators are licensed to collect within the hours of 6am and 10pm inside the urban speed limit-controlled areas.

“Times for collection for all kerbside waste collections are specified within waste collection permits issued by the National Waste Collection Permit Office based in Tullamore,” the reply explained, adding that any complaints in respect of collection outside these hours will be dealt with as enforcement matters under the conditions of their collection permit.

Cllr Glynn said he accepted the response, but that if collection is permitted from 6am, it might be the case that residents’ associations should be made aware of this.

He added that the complaints brought to his attention were of collections taking place at about 5.40 am.