THE MOST important element of the Tidy Towns competition is involvement by local communities. Without wholehearted support and the long-term commitment of a great many people, the chance of winning outright or of performing well in any of the categories reduces to vanishing point.
That is why the people of Westport in Co Mayo and other successful towns and villages deserve our admiration. The sense of local pride overcomes local impediments.
A clean and vibrant image contributes enormously to the success of our tourism and food industries and makes for more confident citizens and a better quality of life. The competition, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, has been an unqualified success. Over the years, it has evolved to include the presentation of public and private buildings, landscaping and flower planting, improvements in community facilities, wildlife development and, of course, a litter-free environment.
But no matter how willing local people are, they will be handicapped if there is not a genuine commitment by the local authority responsible for their area. Little will change if identifiable council officials are not made responsible for anti-litter campaigns through the employment and motivation of street cleaners, liaising with local communities, providing and emptying litter bins and overseeing the prosecution of offenders. As things stand, less than half of all local authorities employ a full-time litter warden.
The results show that the affluence of a neighbourhood may have little bearing on its ranking . In Dublin Finglas outperformed Blackrock and Ballymun beat Clontarf. Community spirit makes a difference. Local authorities respond to encouragement by business and residents' groups. But individual citizens also play a part, such as picking up litter outside their front gates. Keeping the place clean is the first step. Improving and beautifying it the next. Local authorities have a duty to enforce the litter laws. And that is not happening. As with speeding offences and drunk driving, behavioural changes only follow a fear of prosecution.
In spite of these shortcomings, significant progress has been made in cleaning and improving our environment. Litter levels have fallen by 40 per cent within the past five years. Many of our towns and villages have been transformed into pleasant, flower-filled havens. In spite of the wet summer, they have been a joy to walk through.