Tidy Towns groups help tackle climate change, minister says at launch of 2025 contest in winning Cork town

Minister for rural and community development Dara Calleary was in Ireland's 2024 Tidiest Town, Ballincollig, Cork, on Monday, to officially launch this year's national competition

Pupils from Scoil Barra, Ballincollig, Ciara MacCannon, 11, Monika Vondrackova, 13, Clara Moynihan, 12, and Hailey O’Callaghan, 11, at the launch of the 2025 SuperValu Tidy Towns competition in Regional Park, Ballincollig, Co Cork, on Monday. Pictures: Julien Behal

Tidy Towns groups can help mitigate the effects of climate change at a local level, the minister for rural and community development said, as he confirmed a review of the State's humanitarian aid scheme was under way.

Dara Calleary was speaking during a visit to Ireland's 2024 Tidiest Town, Ballincollig in Cork, on Monday, to officially launch this year's national Tidy Towns competition.