|
The Irish Times has reported that Dún Laoghaire Rathdown
County Council collected only 30 per cent of the waste charges
due to it in 2006, according to a report from the Local
Government Audit Service.
The Local Government Statutory Audit Report for Dún Laoghaire
Rathdown County Council found that over 5,000 households liable
for charges in the council's area had paid nothing at all
since the waste charges were introduced in 2000. It also found
that 6,899 households had arrears bills of €1,300 or more
each at the end of December 2006 - accounting for €11.1 million
of the total €25.8 million arrears.
The council collected €1.7 million less in charges in 2006
- the latest figures available - than it had in 2005, the
report said.
The report was sent to the council in April and released
to the public last week.
Auditor Tony Doheny said the council needed to have a more
pro-active collection policy. "Legal proceedings should be
instituted against non-payers and the legal department could
consider registering charges against properties where significant
arrears exist" - Mr Doheny said.
More than €53 million was collected in development levies
in 2006. Mr Doheny recommended that a new accounts system
be introduced. He said that the current system did not record
amounts due to the council and only recorded amounts actually
paid.
In response to the auditors' comments, County Manager Owen
Keegan said that enforcement for non-payment of waste charges
was introduced in January 2008, on a limited scale initially.
"Enforcement is being stepped up, but obviously there is a
limit to the number of cases that can be handled at any one
time" - he said. "The pursuit of the legal option is also
currently being examined."
He added that the planning and finance departments in the
council were in discussions regarding the implementation of
a new accounting system for development levies.
Source - The Irish Times
|
