Civic and business leaders in Cork have reacted with disappointment to the news that the city is rated as having a serious litter problem just months before it becomes European Capital of Culture.
Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr Seán Martin urged Corkonians to take greater pride in keeping their city clean, after it was found to be one of the State's two dirtiest cities, along with Dublin.
Cllr Martin said that while Cork City Council could invest in keeping the city clean and tidy, the authorities also needed the public to play its part.
"From a city council point of view, we have made huge investments in trying to keep the city streets clean over the last number of years . . . if the city puts €4 million to €5 million into its cleaning programme, then I think there's a responsibility on its citizens to do their part.
"Next year, 2005 is about the people of Cork - the council can do it at one level, but it's the people themselves who have to come on board," Mr Martin said on Cork's Red FM radio station in response to the Irish Businesses Against Litter (IBAL) survey.
The report rates Cork city centre as having "serious litter problem" and says that the main shopping area, Patrick Street "gives the impression of a filthy area which has deteriorated". It also says the street has an insufficient number of litter bins.
Cork Chamber of Commerce President Mr Robin O'Sullivan said that a litter-free city centre was essential if Cork was to capitalise on its role as European Capital of Culture next year.
"We have a problem - there's no point in denying - we have come a long way, but we still have people who just throw away their litter on the streets. The underlying problem is the lack of civic pride and we need to work on that with education, enforcement and encouragement."
Cork Business Association environment committee chairman Mr David Coleman said he hoped the IBAL survey would motivate people to be tidier.