An industrial vacuum cleaner designed to suck cigarette butts from cobbled streets is being introduced to Dublin's Temple Bar in an attempt to solve the area's litter problem.
The "Fag-Vac" will be operated on a pilot basis by local business association Tascq (Traders in the Area Supporting the Cultural Quarter), which says that the level of cigarette litter is of "immense concern".
The rise in outdoor smoking necessitated by the smoking ban had led to a huge increase in cigarette litter in the city's cultural quarter, Tascq said.
A study conducted over the past 12 months by An Taisce and Tascq found that cigarette litter was the largest single source of rubbish on the streets, accounting for nearly 40 per cent of all litter items.
Cigarette litter presents a particular problem in Temple Bar as ordinary street-cleaning machines which use revolving brushes have difficulty in removing butts from the cobblestones.
Tascq chief executive Martin Harte hopes that the Fag-Vac, which has greater suction power, will be more successful at eliminating unsightly butts.
"The sight of cigarette butts littering the cobbled streets has been of immense concern to us here in Temple Bar. Ideally we would prefer smokers not to pollute the streets with their litter. However, having a machine specifically built to assist with the clean-up is a positive fightback."
The machine will be operated on a trial period by Tascq cleaners and it will be monitored by An Taisce during October.
