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The Journal
28-05-2025
- Business
- The Journal
New company to take over Dublin City clothes banks after last one reached 'maximum capacity'
DUBLIN CITY COUNCIL will shortly announce a new company to take over the city's €1 million clothes bank collection service. It comes four months after clothing collections in the local authority were suspended, when the previous company collecting from the clothes banks saw their storage warehouses reach 'maximum capacity'. A strategic policy committee meeting heard this afternoon that the tender process for a new operator for textile recycling infrastructure closed two weeks ago, and the tenders submitted are now being assessed. According to eTenders , the contract is worth €1 million and will be valid for two years. Derek Kelly, the director of service at DCC, told the committee that they received 'a number of applicants' for the new contract, adding that he would circulate the details once the process has finished. 'Hopefully within the next week or two, at most, we'll have the winners decided, and we'll enter the pre-contract negotiations,' he said, adding that he hoped a new operator would be in place in the next six weeks. The previous operator, Textile Recycling Limited (TRL), temporarily suspended their service on 27 January. 'Extraordinary backlog' A report on the recycling services that was circulated on 6 March stated that this was due to their storage facilities reaching 'maximum capacity' as a result of 'increasing difficulties in the international used textiles industry'. Services were also suspended or withdrawn from a number of other local authorities around the country, before they resumed on 13 February. 'Due to ongoing global events, many international textile markets are currently inaccessible, which has resulted in an extraordinary backlog of materials in storage in TRL's warehouses, creating the need for the leasing of additional sites and purchasing of containers,' the report stated. It stated that DCC Waste Management Services Cleansing teams across the city 'were instructed to focus on the removal of bags and clothing litter from bring bank locations during this temporary suspension of collections'. Contracts for the collection and processing of this clothing were historically done on a concession basis, where the service provider paid the local authority a set price per tonnes of materials collected each month. The report stated that due to the difficulties in the international textile industry, 'this model has become increasingly unsustainable in recent years'. Advertisement 'It has become apparent that future contracts will require Local Authorities to pay service providers to carry out the service,' it added. Collection services have since resumed, with DCC enacting 'emergency procurement protocols' to establish a temporary contract during the procurement process. Fast fashion 'big issue' Green Party councillor Janet Horner, who was chairing the committee, asked Kelly what oversight it has when it comes to what happens to the clothing after it is collected. Kelly said that it depends on whether the operator has recycling outlets within the State. If they do not, it is shipped to other jurisdictions. This is monitored by Dublin City Council's National TransFrontier Shipments Office. 'That's where the NTFSO step in to make sure that it isn't just leaving the state and going into a landfill in somebody else's jurisdiction. That can't be allowed to happen,' he said. Kelly said he would ask the office to pass on information to the committee around the criteria of what is classified as waste and what isn't in the textile market. 'It is a complex area,' he continued. 'The nature of the world at the moment, there's a lot of fast fashion, and the textile quality isn't up to recycling even, and that's a big issue in the international markets at the moment for textiles.' The Journal recently reported on how Irish charity shops are seeing an influx of donations of clothing from fast fashion brand Shein , many of which have never been worn and still have tags on. Horner said a certain cohort of the population are very aware of the issues around fast fashion and 'the elements of disposability of a lot of what people are getting rid of'. She said that the more data the committee had about what happens to the collected clothing would be helpful for consumer education 'as well as for implementing more effective programs higher up the chain to ensure that we are minimising the amount of waste that is getting disposed of'. The committee also heard that there are 'sporadic issues' of illegal dumping around certain bring banks. Kelly said DCC have a crew assigned to monitor certain bring banks on a daily basis and collect any illegal dumping. He said the issue is something that the council need to keep under review 'over the next while'. 'I haven't been getting in any way the level of complaints that have previously been sent in by elected members and the general public around the conditions of certain sites,' he said. 'I'm not saying it's gone away, but it's nowhere near where it was.' Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... 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The Journal
23-05-2025
- General
- The Journal
Close to 70 Airbnb-style lock boxes removed in Dublin since crackdown started in mid-April
DUBLIN CITY COUNCIL has removed 69 lock boxes from public realm spaces since a crackdown began in mid-April. The key lock boxes are increasingly being used across Europe to store accommodation keys for short-term rentals, such as Airbnb. Rather than having to meet the renter in person, or install some type of electronic lock or key box on the property, some Airbnb owners are storing keys in lock boxes that they then attach to public infrastructure, such as bike stands and street signage poles. The renters are given a code which allows them to open the lock box and retrieve the key for the accommodation, without the need for the landlord to meet them in person. However, the placement of these lock boxes in the public realm is not authorised by Dublin City Council and the Council approved measures to 'remove and destroy' the lock boxes from 14 April. Advertisement In a report in February, the Council noted that the lock boxes are sometimes 'left lying on the ground without any protection, resulting in a public health issue as they may become contaminated' over time. In January, Paris followed several other French cities in banning the use of key lock boxes in public spaces. Dublin City Council said that the 69 lock boxes that have been removed so far have been 'shredded'. 'Removals will continue to occur when observed or when we are notified by members of the public of a location,' said a Council spokesperson, who added that if anyone wants to report a location, they can do so by emailing citycentreprojects@ . Sinn Féin Councillor Ciarán Ó Meachair welcomed the figures and said 'Dubliners are very rightly concerned about the effect that short-term holiday rentals are having on the housing crisis'. 'The overabundance of them in certain parts of Dublin is causing areas to lose any sense of community,' he added. He also encouraged the public to report lockboxes to Dublin City Council to 'ensure this clutter is removed from our streets'. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
The Journal
29-04-2025
- The Journal
Council re-takes possession of former home of 1916 rising leader after alleged trespassers vacate
DUBLIN CITY COUNCIL has re-taken possession of the former home and shop of 1916 Rising leader Tom Clarke, on Amiens Street in Dublin, after a dozen alleged trespassers vacated the property, the High Court has heard. Last November, the council issued High Court proceedings aimed at restraining 'persons unknown' from trespassing at the property after receiving reports of unauthorised occupation last May. Today at the High Court, Gavin Mooney SC, for the council, said that an undertaking had been agreed by those allegedly trespassing to vacate the house. He added that, upon inspection, there had been 'slightly more damage' to the property than thought, but that this would not be an issue. None of the 12 named alleged trespassers were in court this morning before Mr Justice Brian Cregan, who adjourned the matter. Mr Mooney said the 12 individuals had now given their names to the council and vacated the house. Advertisement In February, an application by the council for a court-ordered inspection of the Georgian building was adjourned amid concerns of a 'stand-off' with anyone occupying the premises. One of the alleged trespassers told the High Court that while some in occupancy 'had no huge objection' to the inspection, others were not sure. 'We deal with things by consensus,' then-occupant Jem Cleaver told the court. Ms Cleaver told Mr Justice Cregan that she did not want a 'stand off' between any of the occupants and any council staff entering and inspecting the seven-bedroom building. Dublin City Council was seeking to inspect the premises, which dates from the 1790s, for damages caused either by Storm Éowyn or by the occupants. Mr Justice Cregan had been told the occupants accepted that they had to vacate the heritage site by May 12 next but opposed an inspection, which they feared would violate their privacy and prejudice them on any council housing list should they give their names to officials. The council spent €630,000 on purchasing the run-down building in 2018 with plans to transform it into a museum and community centre. The court previously heard works have not begun as a chosen contractor pulled out in 2023, but that the council is 'anxious' to revive its restoration plan. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
