The Dublin city manager has deplored the vandalism of fibreglass cows which led to their removal from the capital's streets.
Mr John Fitzgerald said it was disappointing that the 10 cows, which are part of an international art exhibition, could not be left on the streets. Vandals destroyed several of the exhibits.
"It's a symptom of a wider malaise that needs to be tackled by us as a society by asking ourselves what levels of tolerance do we want and then doing something about it," he said.
Mr Fitzgerald said acts of vandalism, littering, public drinking and other forms of anti-social behaviour had worsened in the past five years.
In recent days, a vandal bored a small hole in the walkway of the Millennium Bridge, he said.
"The message has to go out that while this kind of behaviour might represent good fun for someone at 3 or 4 o'clock in the morning, it is a problem that costs money and ruins the environment," he added.
He said he hoped the cows which had to be taken off the streets would be safe in their planned new indoor venues, including shopping malls and other public buildings.
More than 70 cows were placed on the streets of Dublin and Dundalk as part of the Bailey's CowParade 2003, an international cultural art exhibition which visits cities worldwide.
The cows have not attracted the same levels of vandalism in other cities.
Mr Fitzgerald was speaking following the formal opening of a new residential and commercial quarter north of the Millennium Bridge, which has been developed by Mr Mick Wallace of Wallace Construction.
Mr Wallace was threatened with legal action by Dublin City Council last October when he temporarily draped a large banner proclaiming: "No to War, No to Nice, No to American Terrorism and People before Profit" from the then building site of the new area, named Quartier Bloom.
Mr Fitzgerald said the council had received a lot of complaints about the banner, which did not have planning permission.
However, he praised the "tremendous work" of Mr Wallace's company for the council.
"He does deliver the goods, but he has a tendency to hang very decorative banners in front of important buildings. We aren't seriously at odds with each other.
"We have a very good relationship but if he could resist from that tendency it would enhance that relationship considerably," he added.