The Green Party has congratulated Kilkenny on winning the Irish Businesses Against Litter (IBAL) awards.

Councillor Malcolm Noonan, Green Party Environment Spokesperson and candidate for the Carlow-Kilkenny by-election, commended Kilkenny County Council, the local Tidy Towns committee, residents and community groups for their tireless work in keeping the city litter free, and warned against the dangerous effects of continued Government cuts to the voluntary sector.

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Councillor Noonan stated: "This award is the result of our community's continued hard work to ensure that Kilkenny is the cleanest town in Ireland. Hundreds of hours of voluntary work went into winning this award, and I commend Kilkenny County Council and Tidy Towns groups for their continued dedication to ensuring that Kilkenny is a fantastic place to live.

"The Green Party is also of the view that many smaller rural towns and villages are suffering disproportionately from cuts to the community and voluntary sector, and that this is manifesting itself in the physical appearance of these areas. IBAL has played a strong role in highlighting these deficits, but Government is not responding to the needs of these neglected communities.

"Protecting our environment has cumulative gains both for the people of Kilkenny, and for people across our country."

(CD/JP)