Time was when the phrase "Dirty oul' Dublin" was a term of endearment. Increasingly it is now a badge of shame. In the past week, we have had the city's premier showcase - the St Patrick's Day festival - blighted at times by the sea of litter on the capital's streets and a report published showing that the amount of waste we produce is growing almost as fast as our reluctance to provide the means to deal with it.

Minister for the Environment Noel Dempsey said the report on the 40 per cent growth in waste production was a wake-up call to the public. Now, no less than anyone else, I love to see optimism in our public representatives. However, I have to say I think the minister is kidding himself. The only wake-up call on litter that the Irish will understand is the one that will eventually hit them in the pocket.