Cavan celebrates capture of clean crown

CAVAN was celebrating its newly-acquired status as the country’s outstanding litter-free town last night.

The Ulster town saw off seven other contenders for the IBAL national anti-litter league 2003 title. The aim of the league is to bring cleanliness levels up to European norms.

"We will do our best to maintain the level we have achieved," said

Cavan Co Council senior environmental executive Michael Mussi at the presentation of the awards in Dublin. "As you know, when you're on the top the only way is down, so we will do our best to stay as far up as we can."

But litter enforcement is not happening around the country as it should, said Dr Tom Cavanagh, founder of the Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL) alliance which runs the competition. He blamed many local authorities for failing to confront high-profile business offenders.

"Token on-the-spot fines of individuals will not make sufficient impact," he said. "Enforcement means fining businesses and all property owners who fail to keep areas surrounding their properties free of litter."

Dr Cavanagh rejected claims by Dublin Lord Mayor Royston Brady that the IBAL methodology was unfair. "All the people who lose out are the ones who complain; the ones that win are happy. But the answer is: do better next time."

Deemed a litter black spot by the An Taisce surveyors, Dublin city centre finished 28th on its competition debut, two places from the bottom of the pile.

The title of dirtiest town went to Bray, Co Wicklow.

However, the final round of the 2003 league showed a significant fall in the number of towns found to be heavily littered, with many ranked "moderately littered."

Dr Cavanagh said a measure of the success of the league was that "heavily littered towns" now represented the exception, whereas just two years ago they were the norm.

Apart from Cavan, seven towns achieved litter-free status in the IBAL league: Carrick-on-Shannon, Dun Laoghaire, Kilrush, Longford, Mullingar, Tralee and Wexford. Longford received the award as most improved town during 2003.

Presenting the awards, Junior Environment Minister Pat the Cope Gallagher said litter was largely an urban problem, so the continuing participation of the city councils who entered for the first time this year was essential if the league was to develop as a national model for tackling litter pollution.

The league shows that 22 of the 30 towns and cities have litter problems, with Leinster most affected.

Fermoy, Co Cork, dropped from being in the litter-free category for the first time, to being placed ninth because of an overspill surrounding the recycling bank in the town's car park.