Tallaght 'most improved town' in anti-litter league

TALLAGHT IN west Dublin has received the award for being the “most improved town in Ireland” in the Irish Business Against Litter (Ibal) league.

The Dublin suburb rose from “litter blackspot” a year ago to having “litter-free” status, helped particularly by a dramatic increase in litter enforcement, with 2,927 anti-litter fines issued by November.

Chairman of Ibal Dr Tom Cavanagh, who presented the award to South County Dublin mayor Marie Corr, said Tallaght’s achievement was “a spectacular example of the success of the litter league initiative”.

Citizens of the area “should look forward to enjoying environs that are on a par with their European neighbours”. Local TD Charlie O’Connor welcomed the award, and said many people “were upset about the poor image being created of Tallaght, which was unfair”.

The Dublin South West Fianna Fáil deputy accepted, however, that there had been a litter problem “and the situation has definitely improved greatly”.

He paid tribute to the local authority and to community efforts where “people went out with their bags and gloves” and picked up litter. However he added that “it’s important that we don’t stop that effort”.

Ibal presented the award before the publication next week of the annual overall award for the best of 55 towns and the worst litter blackspots. Dundalk was last year’s winner.

An Taisce, which monitors all towns with a population of 6,000 or more, praised Tallaght’s “fantastic result” and said it was “among the highest-ranked areas”.

Ibal, established in 1996, is an alliance of companies that believes “continued economic prosperity, notably in the areas of tourism, food and direct foreign investment, is contingent on a clean, litter-free environment”.