One fifth of premises in Irelands town centres are vacant according to the latest Irish business against litter survey.
A league of 42 towns and cities around the country shows 19 were cleaner than the European average, with a further 16 in line with the average.
Irelands cleanest town will be named at a ceremony later today.
The group has identified Dublin's North Inner City as litter blackspot, saying litter, long-term dumping and neglect are a problem.
The group also says the high number of vacant properties in all towns is a growing concern.
Tom Kavanagh of the IBAL says
"The issue needs to be tackled on a more systematic level, with a person in each local authority allocated responsibility for saving town centres, as has happened in Limerick, Wexford and elsewhere."
Hes suggesting a 'Distressed Town Centre Taskforce' similar to the one in the UK could be set up to deal specifically with this issue, saying "it's not just the clean environment that is at stake: these premises are part of the very lifeblood of the town. Vibrant town centres are an essential part of our tourist product."
