Seán Sherlock
Question:96. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of applications for this year's tidy towns competition. [38486/21]
View answerThursday, 15 July 2021
Questions (96)
Written answers
l was delighted to be in a position to launch the 2021 Supervalu TidyTowns competition on 21st May last. After the cancellation of the competition last year, I know that the launch of the 2021 competition was greeted with much relief and enthusiasm by the countless number of TidyTowns volunteers around the country.
Special arrangements have been put in place to ensure the return of the competition. The 2021 competition is taking place in the same format as previous years, albeit with a specific emphasis on electronic entry and remote adjudication of each town’s entry. A second round of adjudications may be required in a small number of cases and, subject to ongoing public health advice, it may be possible to conduct these through an onsite inspection of the selected town or village.
The closing date for completed entries for this year's competition was 2nd July last. To date, my Department has received almost 800 entries for this year's competition and these have been recorded on the TidyTowns website. This is still a provisional figure as my officials continue to validate and register the entries received, and undertake final checks to ensure all entries have been recorded. The final list of all entrants will be provided on the TidyTowns website: www.tidytown.ie.
I an very pleased to see the large level of entries this year. The number of entries is testament to the resilience of the TidyTowns volunteers who have continued to undertake works in their towns and villages despite the challenges they faced. The competition will provide an important opportunity to recognise the significant role that these volunteers continue to play in their local communities.