DUBLIN City Council said it has consistently responded to the results of the Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL) surveys.
It said it does this every year by identifying areas for improvement based on the analysis of the issues highlighted and taking actions to achieve improvements.
The city council was responding to the end-of-year survey that saw the north inner city finish last in a league table of 40 areas surveyed nationwide.
In a statement, the city council said: “It is important also to acknowledge and highlight the community efforts taken in the north inner city by active environmental and residents’ groups supported by Dublin City Council that demonstrate the civic pride and community effort that is in evidence in the area.
“Despite ongoing efforts over many years by the city council the issue of illegal dumping is again highlighted as prevalent.
“It must be stated clearly that while there remains a deficit in personal responsibility to the issues of litter and illegal dumping, the challenge remains significant to address.”
The city council said it has an ongoing enforcement regime that includes the investigation of illegal dumping, illegal waste collection and waste disposal.
“In carrying out this regime the council utilises all avenues of legislation and the relevant technology available such as CCTV monitoring of problematic locations,” it said.
“It is the ongoing aim of Dublin City Council to increase the effectiveness of all enforcement activities and to trial and implement new enforcement initiatives.
“The street cleaning regime within Dublin City is carried out daily throughout the city and the clearing of litter, removal of illegal dumping, sweeping of streets both mechanically and manually and the servicing of litter bins are the core activities carried out within this area of operation.
“Dublin City Council will continue to endeavour to provide a high standard of directly delivered cleaning services, provide a range of recycling amenities, engage with communities and promote awareness of litter and environmental issues.”
In last week’s issue of Northside People, Mary Fitzpatrick, a Fianna Fail candidate in the next general election in the Dublin Central constituency, expressed her disappointment after learning that the north inner city finished last.
Ms Fitzpatrick said there was a need to “examine the possibility of re-introducing an affordable municipal waste collection service”.
In response, Dublin City Council said: “In any examination of the possibility of the Local Authority re-entering the waste collection market, it should be noted that the authority would be obliged to compete in the market in the same manner as the private waste operators including providing for the charging for waste collection as was the case prior to the exit from the market.
“There is no convincing evidence that this would have a positive impact on illegal dumping which is an offence that is indicative of attempts to avoid paying the relevant costs and charges relating to the appropriate disposal of waste.”