Written answers
Wednesday, 20 March 2024
Department of Rural and Community Development
Departmental Projects
Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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1580. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the role her Department takes in devising the marking scheme for the annual tidy towns competition; and the annual adjudication period when groups may be inspected. [11930/24]
Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Supervalu TidyTowns competition is a unique volunteer-led programme that has transformed our towns and villages, making them more attractive places in which to live, work and visit, in line with the objectives of Our Rural Future and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Ahead of the competition launch each year, officials in my Department meet with SuperValu, the main sponsor of the competition, and with the panel of adjudicators. Any changes to the competition's eight scoring categories are considered and judging criteria updated accordingly.
The competition scoring categories are as follows:
| Category | Marks |
|---|---|
| Community - Your Planning and Involvement | 80 |
| Streetscape and Public Places | 80 |
| Greenspaces and Landscaping | 80 |
| Nature and Biodiversity in your locality | 55 |
| Sustainability - Doing more with less | 55 |
| Tidiness and Litter Control | 90 |
| Residential Streets and Housing Area | 55 |
| Approach Roads, Streets and Lanes | 55 |
| Total | 550 |
Competition entries are adjudicated by a panel of adjudicators, typically during the months of June and July each year. This is an anonymous process, carried out in a fair, impartial and transparent manner by a team of highly skilled and competent adjudicators on behalf of the Department. Adjudication reports are then compiled by the adjudicators, marks in each category awarded and uploaded to the TidyTowns database by August.
Whilst Departmental officials facilitate the administration of this process, they are not actively involved in the adjudication of competition entries.
Adjudication reports contain recommendations on areas for improvement as well as on any instances of non-adherence to the guidelines or competition criteria. Once the results are announced at the national awards ceremony, all reports are published online on the TidyTowns website, again facilitated by Department officials.
The 2024 SuperValu TidyTowns Competition will be launched later this month, with a closing date in May. I look forward to announcing the results of the 2024 SuperValu TidyTowns Competition at an awards ceremony later in the year.
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