Tallaght disappoints as it falls in the latest litter rankings

THE final litter survey for 2019 from business group Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL) has shown that Tallaght has tumbled down the rankings and was rated “moderately littered”.

However, according to IBAL, there is significantly less litter on our cities’ streets compared to a decade ago. 

Kilkenny topped the IBAL litter rankings for a record fourth time, having last won in 2014. It finished ahead of Killarney, which was third in 2018, and Swords at the top of the table.

In all, 21 of the 27 towns inspected were deemed clean, a great result but down on previous years.

The past decade has brought a 13 per cent reduction in litter levels in our city centres, while litter in towns has remained constant over the same period.

“We’ve seen the fruits of the greater attention given to keeping our city centres clean,” Conor Horgan of IBAL, said. “To the point where they are now almost as clean as our towns. In 2019, for the first time, all were deemed clean.”

IBAL has been surveying disadvantaged city areas over the past five years but has seen little reduction in litter over the period.

“Unfortunately, the gap in cleanliness between these neglected areas and the high-profile city centres is not closing,” Mr Horgan added.

An Taisce, who conduct the surveys on behalf of IBAL, praised the popular tourist attractions of Christchurch Cathedral, Trinity College, Guinness Storehouse, the Garden of Remembrance and main shopping streets as “excellent”.

“The ever-popular tourist attractions of Christchurch Cathedral, Trinity College and Guinness Storehouse and the Garden of Remembrance were excellent with regard to presentation and cleanliness while the main shopping streets of Mary Street, Henry Street, Grafton Street and O’Connell Street were very much deserving of the top litter grade,” the report states.

“Some of the poorer ranking states such as the ESB Station on Francis Street and Basketball Court at Vicar Street were poor on many previous occasions.

Loftus Lane wasn’t just a littered site but subject to dumping. Examples of items included microwaves, mattresses and domestic rubbish.”

In Dun Laoghaire, public properties generally scored very well in this survey with plenty of top ranking sites.

The sea walk to Sandycove and DLR Lexicon and environs were exceptionally well presented and maintained.

However, the former school and adjacent car park at Eblana Avenue were found to be generally very poor in terms of presentation and maintenance.

 “After making big strides over the last number of years in the league it was disappointing to see two litter blackspots and one seriously littered site take Tallaght down the rankings,” the report adds.

“Pedestrian access to Cheeverstown Road, from Kilmartin Drive has suffered from prolonged and serious abuse and neglect. Courthouse Square Car Park wasn’t just casually littered but a variety of items had been discarded, including pallets and bags of rubbish.

However, half of the sites surveyed did get the top litter grade – some worth noting were the Tallaght Luas stop, Tallaght Village and Sean Walsh Memorial Park.” 

Set up in 1996, Irish Business Against Litter is an alliance of companies sharing a belief that economic prosperity is contingent on a litter-free environment.