Sir, - Before they assumed office in June, members of this Government spoke a great deal about their commitment to environmental issues, including Ireland's growing problem with litter pollution. In fact, Fianna Fail went so far as to publish a policy document on the subject in the run-up to polling day. It quoted the independent market research findings of the Irish Business Against Litter organisation in support of a myriad of promises on how the party would tackle the litter issue if elected to power.
Since the publication of this document and the subsequent election, the silence from Fianna Fail and its relevant ministers has been deafening. Rather than tackle the issue of litter, the Government has so far chosen to run away from it, even though the 1997 Litter Act, introduced by the former Minister, Brendan Howlin, is a workable piece of legislation which would address the issue in a very meaningful way. In particular, it puts an obligation on the owners of property to keep the adjoining pieces of public property permanently clean.
Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL) played a leading role in the discussions which preceded the formulation of the new legislation. IBAL's membership includes many of Ireland's leading business organisations who came together just two years ago to express their concern about the worsening litter problem. Our organisation believes - and two independent market research studies have borne this out - that there is a direct correlation between economic prosperity and the cleanliness of our country.
It remains a mystery to IBAL, therefore, why the new Government has so far failed to address an issue which it claimed was a priority before assuming office. Soon after his appointment, the Junior Minister with responsibility in this area, Mr Danny Wallace TD, met IBAL and listened to our concerns about the need for enforcement of the new laws. He promised that he would be back with concrete proposals and recommendations within six weeks. But nothing has been heard from the Minister, either publicly or privately, since then. - Yours, etc., Dr Tom Cavanagh, Chairman,
IBAL,
Upper Mount Street,
Dublin 2.