The annual Tidy Towns contest, which has run for more than 60 years, will go ahead this year.
There had been concerns that the Covid-19 pandemic would force the competition's cancellation for the second year.
However, Minister for Rural and Community Development Heather Humphreys has confirmed that the nationwide competition will take place.
It will go ahead in the same format as previous years although there will be a move towards electronic entries and remote adjudication of each town’s entry.
There will be a new award category for how groups responded and assisted their community during the pandemic.
There will also be an award for young people involved in the SuperValu Tidy Towns Competition.
The organisers said adjudicators will be mindful when assessing entries because of Covid-19, volunteers have not been able to deliver on all of the plans that they may have had for their towns.
At the same time, they said many groups have been very active and the standard of competition is expected to be high again this year.
Minister Humphreys said despite the huge challenges, she is encouraging groups to enter this year's competition.
She said: "TidyTowns is much more than a competition. It is a community of volunteers that share the same love of their environment and the place where they call home.
"I want every group to keep in touch with this TidyTowns community and the best way of doing this is by being part of this year's competition."
More than 800 local Tidy Towns committees and their volunteers were left dismayed when the contest was cancelled last year, during the first lockdown.
The competition, which has been running since 1958, encourages communities to work together to improve their local environment.
It was launched by the tourist board, then Bord Fáilte, but was later taken over by the Government.
Glaslough in Co Monaghan was awarded the title of Ireland's tidiest town in 2019.
