The Lord Mayor of Cork has criticised the results of a national litter survey, which ranked Cork city centre and Mahon amongst the worst in the country.

Lord Mayor Deirdre Forde said that the IBAL (Irish Business Against Litter) survey’s classification of Cork city as littered “does not reflect the hard work and dedication of the City Council’s street sweeping crews who work outside in all weather, 7 days a week from early morning to late in the evening”.

She highlighted that the survey is only a snapshot of selected areas of the city, a number of which are not actually located in the city centre, such as the Dunkettle Interchange “which is a major construction site”, Kinsale Road Roundabout, N20 Commons Road and North Ring Road.

The Lord Mayor said that last year Cork City Council carried out a number of anti-littering initiatives, including the collection of mattresses and hazardous waste, and the provision of skips for bulky goods, all free of charge – as well as installation of over 50 solar compactor bins in the city centre.

She added that there has been “significant resources and engagement” in the Mahon area to tackle littering, dog fouling and illegal dumping.

“Cork City Council has a continuing role in the upkeep of the public realm however, we cannot solve the problem of littering on our own,” she said.

“Tackling the issue must be done in conjunction and partnership with all residents and stakeholders. An element of personal responsibility must be brought to bear to resolve the scourge of littering and illegal dumping,” she added.