Fine Gael councillor calls IBAL litter survey during Riverfest unfair

Fine Gael councillor Sarah Kiely has described the Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL) survey carried out by An Taisce during Limerick’s Riverfest as “hugely unfair and inappropriate”.

Kiely raised the issue at the Metropolitan area meeting in September, questioning the timing of the inspection – which took place on the May Bank Holiday weekend – and the identity of the inspectors. She argued that a survey conducted during a major festival does not reflect the city’s usual cleanliness and warned that repeated negative headlines were damaging.

The councillor urged An Taisce to be transparent about who carried out the survey and to engage with elected representatives. “If the inspector is from Limerick, they must know, in all conscience, the inspection period was inappropriate,” Kiely said, adding she was willing to meet the inspector but would respect anonymity if required.

An Taisce responded that the survey was conducted on 4 and 5 May and that it has been running on behalf of IBAL for over 20 years, rotating among 40 towns and cities. The organisation explained that the surveys are not a litter‑counting exercise but an overall impression based on litter levels relative to site size, with results influencing a year‑end award announced in January.

An Taisce noted that staff details cannot be disclosed for security reasons and that they acknowledge local authority initiatives where relevant.

Source: Limerick Post. Photo: RDNE Stock project / Pexels.