A waste management firm has been slammed for charging customers twice in one year for an annual contract.

Sinn Fein TD for Dublin North West, Dessie Ellis, also hit out at Greyhound Waste for "going against" the agreement to postpone planned bin hikes in June.

Deputy Ellis said: "In a reply to a Parliamentary Question that I asked last month, the Minister said that Greyhound's approach is "out of step with the arrangements made by other collectors in the industry". The Minister also said that he was "informed that a large number of customers have already been in contact with the company to indicate that they wish to retain their current price plan arrangements".

-- Advertisement --

"While this is true, it denies the reality for the majority of their customers. in terms of fees. The company in question is crediting customer accounts for fees pre-paid for the period after 01 July 2016, while at the same time requesting customers to enter a new annual contract from 01 August 2016.

"By crediting customers again on 01 August, Greyhound are not charging extra, but the result of this is that customers will have to pay twice in one calendar year for a yearly contract.

"So in reality, any customer who paid their yearly charge last January now needs to enter another yearly contact in August, and pay now to continue their current plan - which they are compelled to honour until August 2017. More importantly it places a burden on those who can’t afford to pay.

"With no option for installments or no bin waiver, many people including pensioners who have budgeted and paid their waste charges for the year last January, now have to find another sum of money to stay on their existing plan and cannot shop around for a better price.

"What have Greyhound to do to force the Minister to act to stamp out these sharp and customer unfriendly practices?"

(CD/MH)