Empty properties encourage litter and dumping

One in five shop and office premises in the country’s large towns are empty and becoming magnets for litter and dumping, a survey by anti-litter campaigners has found.

The Irish Business Against Litter alliance said the problem was a growing concern and called for it to be tackled by aggressive political initiatives such as compulsory purchase orders.

IBAL chairman Tom Cavanagh said the issue needed to be systematically tackled with a person in each local authority allocated responsibility for saving their town centre.