Fermoy slips two places in IBAL's final anti-litter league table of year
Fermoy slipped two places but still managed to hold on to a spot in the 'Cleaner than European Norms' classification of the final Anti-Litter League of 2013, coming in joint 11th place with Letterkenny.
The Anti-Litter League is organised by the Irish Business Against Litter, spearheaded by Fermoy man, Dr Tom Cavanagh. An Taisce conduct the surveys of towns on behalf of IBAL.
Chairman of Fermoy Tidy Towns Anti-Litter Committee, Councillor John Murphy, was pleased that the town had remained in the 'Cleaner than European Norms' category but said the slippage from 9th to 11th place showed there was no room for complacency.
Saying it was a team effort involving many, he thanked the local schools, the FÁS and Tús teams, council staff and his fellow Tidy Towns volunteers for their commitment and dedication. He also said he hoped that the Tidy Towns wouldn't diminish when the town council is abolished in May.
"I hope it can be kept going, perhaps as part of a local community council which would be set up and properly funded to deal with local issues," he commented.
He was echoing concern expressed by Dr Cavanagh at the finale of the 2013 Anti-Litter League by IBAL in Dublin on Monday. Posing the question: "What makes one town cleaner than another?", Dr Kavanagh said it is, typically, the commitment of the local council to ensuring the local streets are clean every day of the year.
"It becomes a source of pride to both the council and the townsfolk. That is at the heart of the success of the IBAL league. When responsibility is removed outside the confines of the town there is a danger that this commitment lessens. The Government needs to ensure that the tremendous strides made in recent years are not jeopardised by the proposed changes in the structure of local authorities," he warned.
Cllr Noel McCarthy agreed, saying the good work of the Tidy Towns could not be underestiimated but it needs the impetus of a local body to keep it going. It's another reason why strong local representation is needed on the new municipal district committees of the county council, he said. He welcomed Fermoy's continued placement in the 'Cleaner than European Norms' classification but said the drop to 11th place was a reason for renewed effort and that more volunteer effort is required.
Cllr Tadhg O'Donovan, PRO of Fermoy Tidy Towns, said the results prove that continued vigilance is required. "Other towns are continuing to improve, surpassing us. Keeping the town up is a costly exercise and requires additional resources."
Published:
Friday 10th January 9:29am
