Sir, - National Spring Clean, the first all-Ireland environmental campaign of its kind, took place throughout the month of April in an effort to raise awareness of the waste and litter problem facing Ireland. Many of our industries, especially tourism, are suffering as a direct result of our rapidly disappearing reputation as a "clean, green" country.
The National Spring Clean campaign attempts to address the issue of litter in a positive way, involving local authorities, schools and community groups in initiatives to clean up their areas at a local level.
The campaign involved every county council and city corporation in Ireland. Some 155,000 people took part and an estimated 7,300 tonnes of litter were collected. National Spring Clean would like to thank all those who took part in the 1,732 litter awareness events which took place and to acknowledge with sincere thanks the support of our sponsors.
Despite the campaign success, the litter problem in Ireland is an ongoing concern. We need to build upon this success and change our mind-set. Litter is unacceptable and if we work together we can eradicate it permanently. - Yours, etc., Patricia Oliver
Chairperson, National Spring Clean Steering Committee, An Taisce, Back Lane, Dublin 8