Teresa Costello (Fianna Fail)

From the outset, I wish to be clear that I fully support and commend all Government schemes and funding streams aimed at anti-littering efforts and environmental awareness. These initiatives have a huge impact in local communities. I have seen this first hand in Tallaght where there has been an impressive growth in Tidy Towns groups and community clean-up initiatives, supported by South Dublin County Council. Currently, applications are open for the 2025 anti-litter anti-graffiti awareness grant, which is a good support for individuals, schools and community organisations seeking to raise awareness around littering and graffiti. This is a valuable initiative that complements the proactive work being done on the ground in our area. South Dublin County Council has developed and is implementing a strong litter management plan. This plan focuses on the enforcement of existing litter legislation, maintenance on enhancement of our public realm, and education and awareness to foster lasting behavioural change.

This leads me to Irish Business Against Litter, IBAL. From the outset, I wish to be clear that I am in agreement with the ethos behind IBAL, and I acknowledge that the core reason it was set up was its founder's firm belief that all citizens have the right to a clean-living environment, something I not only believe but I actively contribute to by volunteering with various Tidy Town groups across Tallaght. The Minister of State can imagine my surprise when I saw the most recent anti-litter survey rating Tallaght as 38 out of 40 towns. I do not deny that, like all areas, Tallaght does have litter issues, but to be ranked 38 out of 40 led me to do some research. I noted that, this year, the areas that were inspected where all in extremely close proximity of each other, and inspections did not seem to venture near the Tallaght village or any of our industrial estates, given that this is a business-focused survey. I found this to be odd, and it certainly was not a broad coverage of Tallaght, which leads me to be of the opinion that Tallaght was not accurately inspected.

Tallaght is often misunderstood or unfairly characterised. Surveys like this only worsen those misconceptions. We have some of the finest parks, beautiful green spaces and a historic village that our community takes immense pride in. Tallaght receives thousands of volunteer hours and significant investment from South Dublin County Council to ensure it is kept looking so well.

As public funds are allocated to IBAL, it is essential that there is appropriate oversight of how it conducts its work, particularly regarding the methodology used in surveys, the consistency and fairness of area selections and the impact such rankings have on community perception and morale. Is there a mechanism to review the methodology IBAL uses? Are there plans to engage with communities before such reports are published to allow them to respond or offer clarification? These rankings do not exist in a vacuum; they are widely reported. They have the power to shape public opinion, investment perception and even community pride. Therefore, accuracy, fairness and transparency are not just important, they are essential. On this occasion, Tallaght deserved better.

I ask IBAL and the Minister of State's Department to reconsider how areas like Tallaght are evaluated, given its size and scale, to ensure broad coverage is achieved. I commend South Dublin County Council, our residents’ associations, Tidy Towns groups and the many volunteers who work hard every single day to keep Tallaght looking so well. They deserve recognition, not discouragement. Tallaght is a proud and vibrant community. Let us ensure it is fairly represented and properly evaluated in all national surveys and reports.