Dublin city centre has been ranked the State's worst "litter black spot" in an annual survey on litter.
Four of the 53 areas surveyed by the Irish Business Against Litter (Ibal) alliance - Dublin city, Mallow, Leixlip and Finglas - were categorised as litter black spots.
Compared to a similar survey in May 2005, Dublin city has witnessed a 15 per cent fall in its litter and cleanliness standards.
In general, litter levels countrywide have improved, with Cavan town emerging as the State's cleanest town.
The survey, undertaken by An Taisce surveyors, described Dublin as "a complete disgrace".
It said the city quays were "very unsightly" and the Iveagh market was in a "dreadful condition".
Moore Street was singled out for particular attention, with the survey suggesting that if the area was not tackled, no improvements would ever occur.
Dr Tom Cavanagh, chairman of Ibal, said Dublin was 40 per cent behind the national average.
"The disappointment here is not that Dublin has finished at the bottom of the rankings.
"It is that in recent times the city is on a negative trend compared to the rest of the country," he said.
Dr Cavanagh added that Dublin's city manager urgently needed to attend to the city's litter problem as the capital city was the epicentre of foreign direct investment and the gateway for two out of every three visitors to Ireland.
In contrast to the city of Dublin, almost half of all 53 areas surveyed were classed as litter-free, including Galway and Waterford.
Other major cities such as Cork and Limerick were deemed to be almost clean to European standards.
Navan in Co Meath, which was deemed the Republic's most litter-clogged town in the same survey last May, has risen to a 46th-place ranking.
However, it is still classed in the survey as having a "serious litter problem".
Minister of State for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government Batt O'Keeffe yesterday welcomed the publication of the results.
He defended the work of Dublin City Council staff in keeping the capital's streets litter-free.
"We need to change the attitudes and behaviour of people who simply drop their litter on the streets.
"Education and awareness-raising and the enforcement of the litter laws are very important in this regard," Mr O'Keeffe said.
The Ibal survey follows a recent study by Fáilte Ireland, which found that after high prices, litter was the main source of dissatisfaction among visitors to Ireland.