THE lack of bags for dog waste or bins on the Shannon Estuary Loop is causing a problem, Councillor Pat O’Gorman told a recent meeting of Shannon Municipal District.
At the meeting Councillor O’Gorman put forward a motion looking for bags and dog waste bins to be installed along the route.
In a written reply Senior Executive Engineer Tom Mellett said, “Clare County Council currently operates a leave no trace policy. To this end additional waste bins are not encouraged.
“Scoop bags are provided by our environment department and are available free of charge from the Shannon MD office upon request.”
However, that did not satisfy Councillor O’Gorman. He said that even when people do pick up the waste, they have nowhere to go.
“People will pick up the poo, but where do they put it after?”
He said that in some cases they actually hang it on trees on the walk. Councillor O’Gorman said that in one case he had asked a man why he was doing so, and the man said he would pick it up on his way back.
However, Councillor O’Gorman said that in many cases people may forget, or get distracted.
Councillor Donna McGettigan supported the motion saying “there is a big difference between carrying an empty crisp packet and a bag of dog poo.”
Councillor O’Gorman asked if the policy of not providing dog waste bins is being followed across the county, saying he had been told they were in place in Lahinch. He was told that it would be clarified for him.
Owen Ryan has been a journalist with the Clare Champion since 2007, having previously worked with a number of other publications in Limerick, Cork and Galway. His first book will be published in December 2024.