MORE than two-thirds of tourists feel Ireland has a litter problem which needs to be tackled, according to a survey. Visitors also believe the litter laws should be more strictly enforced.
A survey for Irish Business Against Litter found Dublin to the worst area for litter and that most litter was found outside takeaways and pubs.
The survey, carried out by Lansdowne Market Research, found a gap between expectations and reality, especially among first time visitors. One in six of this group had anticipated that Ireland would have litter problem than their own country before coming here. However having been here this rises to one in three.
Tourists noted litter in railway and bus stations, at bus stops and on buses and trains, consisting of food wrappers, plastic containers and bags, cigarette butts and empty cigarette packets.
Overflowing bins and discarded food were also mentioned.
Seventy one per cent felt something should be done about litter and rubbish; the most frequent suggestions were to provide more litter bins and impose fines.
The chairman of Irish Business Against Litter, Mr Tom Cavanagh, said the survey confirmed the organisation's belief that action needed to be taken to tackle the problem.
"We expected that this survey would produce a broad consensus between visitors and Irish people themselves on the degree of the glitter problem here, the locations where it is most likely to be found "and the need to tackle the issue as a matter of urgency.
"In the event this is precisely what has happened. Perhaps most importantly, however, visitors to Ireland have reaffirmed, that Ireland would benefit both environmentally and economically if it took the litter problem ore seriously", he said.
Executive member Mr Gerry O'Hagan said the survey illustrated that visitor expectations frequently changed when they saw the scale of Ireland's litter problem.
He said taken with the survey of attitudes taken earlier this year, more than 75 per cent were willing to accept stiffer fines if it led to a decrease in litter pollution.