A Lisburn councillor has urged the council to investigate missed bin collections on public holidays, warning of a developing pattern.

Councillor Gary Hynds told the council's environment committee that collections were missed on a recent bank holiday. He said constituents had been contacting him about the issue and requested a report to examine the situation.

A council officer explained that waste collections on public holidays or alternate days like Saturdays depend on staff volunteering for overtime. The officer noted a growing trend of workers choosing to take holiday leave, making it difficult to plan rounds.

Residents are advised to leave their bins out, but the council acknowledged this causes inconvenience. The officer said immediate solutions are not available and would require significant contract negotiations.

Challenges are more acute during two-day breaks such as Easter and July, while single-day holidays like those in May, August or St Patrick's Day tend to see higher staff availability.

Hynds asked whether the problem pointed to a management or staffing issue and formally proposed that a report be brought back to committee. The committee discussed the matter but no immediate resolution was outlined.