£2m facelift for tidy towns millennium competition announced

National participation in the Tidy Towns competition has been "patchy" while the number of urban villages entering has been disappointing, the Minister for Environment and Local Government, Mr Dempsey, said yesterday.

The Minister was speaking in Dublin at the announcement of a £2 million "facelift" for the contest, known this year as the Tidy Towns Millennium Competition.

The extra money - £1.6 million from the main sponsors, SuperValu, and £0.4 million from the Government - will provide for a 30 per cent increase in the prize money, new medal awards, the extension of the SuperValu Endeavour Award from a regional to a county basis and a revamp of the logo to "project a more modern, dynamic image" for the competition.

On more than one occasion, Mr Dempsey said, he had stated his disappointment at the low level of participation by urban villages. "There are many villages in our cities," he said. "All the county boroughs should do their bit to make the urban village category of the competition a success." Grants totalling £18,000 are being provided to the county boroughs to assist them in promoting the competition.

Mr Eoin McGettigan, chief executive of the SuperValu supermarkets, said it would be naive to think tidy towns could be a panacea for all the country's ailments.

"But even at its simplest level, the obvious good coming from tidy towns - the community spirit it engenders, the respect for environment and heritage, the sense of achievement and inclusiveness - these are all priceless commodities we must strive to protect and encourage." The competition was first launched in 1958 with Glenties, Co Donegal, as its first winner. Since then 28 centres have won the title of tidiest town. Some 725 entered and Clonakilty, Co Cork, took last year's prize.

Entries will be accepted from March 31st until April 28th. Information can be obtained on (01) 888 2300 or at www.environ.ie.