More than €67m is owed to Dublin City Council in outstanding rent, domestic refuse and metered-water costs.

Almost €17m has yet to be paid to the council in housing rents, while €30.6m is outstanding in domestic refuse charges.

Commercial properties across Dublin owe €20.3m in metered-water charges.

Councillor Nial Ring says the monies due are "substantial", particularly the domestic refuge charges which account for a "huge proportion of the outstanding debts".

"This obviously goes back to when the bin charges first came in and there was huge resistance to it. We had scenarios in East Wall where people were chasing after bin lorries throwing their rubbish in to avoid the charges."

Overall, the council has recorded a 90% compliance rate in collecting refuse charges, but only a 76% compliance rate in the collection of rent.

Labour councillor Dermot Lacey has said the figures are "unacceptable" and "too much" but that some people who owe money are the poorest members of society. Lacey is now pushing for a "Nama equivalent" for the housing rent debts.

A spokesman for the council has said "We use every exhaustive way to recover the outstanding debt, but sometimes it depends on the situation. We are now having to develop special payment plans for those who are struggling. With the current economic hardships, we have to be a bit more sensitive."

The figures reveal that only 49% of metered-water char­ges in commercial properties in Dublin have been collected.

The Commission on Taxation report recently recommended that water charges also be implemented for domestic properties and Dublin City Council is currently reviewing ways in which to implement this, according to Ring.

Separate figures in the council's financial report show €3.4m has been collected in clamping charges up to September of this year.

"Ever since clamping has been introduced, there has been a huge increase in those using the parking metres, so this figure is actually lower. The council has an arduous task balancing finances with the amounts outstanding, even though it is the biggest employer in Ireland," said Lacey.

Overall payroll for council employees amounts to €360m.

Meanwhile, over €24m has been paid out in consultancy fees for operations such as waste management plans in Poolbeg and the Port Tunnel.