Press Release

20^th OCTOBER 2008

AN END TO LITTER BLACKSPOTS FOR TALLAGHT

South Dublin County Council welcomes the Countys improvements in the current IBAL survey rating based on surveys carried out in August of this year. The Council views the improved results, and particularly the comments provided, as a positive reflection of all the work it has continued to carry out since the beginning of 2008.

In January of this year the Council identified a plan of action to address the issue of litter in the County. It is delighted to see that the implementation of these actions is now beginning to show in such surveys as the IBAL ranking.

The actions set out by the Council in January saw the re-organisation and deployment of additional cleansing staff, increased focus on awareness and enforcement and the preparation of the Litter Management Plan for adoption by the Members of the County Council.

The Council remains focused on achieving a litter free status in the County and will continue to work on the strong foundations established at the beginning of this year. With this in mind the Council requested An Taisce, who conducts the IBAL surveys, to carry out a baseline litter survey of the County. This baseline survey is more widespread and comprehensive than the IBAL surveys and, having been carried out more recently, gives a better indication of the status of areas throughout the county at the present time.

Over 200 sites were surveyed during early October, the complete results of which will be released in the coming weeks. Initial feedback from the County wide baseline survey indicates that the results of the actions implemented by the Council since the beginning of the year, when assessed against the IBAL criteria, achieved a score of 78% or slightly litter a further improvement on the IBAL results announced today.

In addition the Council has continued to send out a clear message that litter will not be tolerated and has handed out over 2300 litter fines and issued 177 notices under the Litter Pollution Act since the beginning of 2008.

The Council continuously works to combat litter in the County providing the community with several anti-litter incentives for example clean-ups, anti-gum litter campaigns, litter picking tools, National Spring Cleans, Green Schools, Green Homes and Environmental Awareness seminars/materials on how to combat litter in the Community.

The Council is pleased that our efforts are starting to show through in the results of these surveys, said John Quinlivan, Senior Executive Officer with the Councils Environment Department. Our aim is to achieve litter free status for the county and we feel that we are well on the way to that position.

For further information please contact Sorcha OBrien, Environmental Awareness Section, South Dublin County Council.