Councillor Mary Howard has called on Clare County Council to crack down on dog fouling by giving more local authority employees the power to issues fines for this offence.
Her appeal coincides with the release of a survey conducted by the National Council for the Blind Ireland that revealed the low number of on-the-spot fines issued by local authorities.
Clare County Council issued one dog fouling fine in 2021 compared to 31 by Kerry County Council, four by Limerick City and County Council and none by Tipperary County Council.
Interestingly, Kerry County Council had dramatically increased fines issued between 2020 and 2021. No fines were issued in 2020, jumping to 31 fines issued in 2021.
While Kerry County Council is an outlier with such a large increase, the NCBI outlined the vast majority of Councils have issued very few or no fines in 2021.
This may highlight a lack of enforcement but also indicates the threat of receiving a fine is not a strong enough deterrent to encourage pet owners to pick up after their dogs.
The Fine Gael Councillor expressed concern about the number of dog-fouling black spots on the Ennis Bypass road and route to Woodstock as well as numerous other locations throughout the county town.
Speaking to the Clare Champion, she said this is a major issue that is being caused by a small minority of irresponsible dog owners, who are causing a public health risk for children in particular if they come in contact with dog faeces.
“If a dog fouls in your house or your lawn, you have to clean it up yourself. There shouldn’t be any difference when it comes to a public place,” said the Fine Gael councillor.
“If a ball gets covered in dog poo and a young child or toddler touches their eye after the ball, they can get very sick as a result of this.
“It is a shame we have to consider putting more council resources into chasing people who are not cleaning up after their dogs. It is a poor reflection on our society.
“I love to travel. I have been to Rome and Budapest where you will not see dog poo on the footpaths.
“Everywhere you go in Clare there is dog fouling. I am dealing with people getting it on buggies, wheelchairs and their shoes.
“It has come to the stage people are afraid to let a toddler play on a communal green area because they could in contact with dog poo,” Councillor Howard said.
Responding to official figures, Clare County Council confirmed it employs community wardens in each of the four Municipal Districts and part of their duties is to enforce the Litter Pollution Act which encompasses the area of dog fouling.
Section 22 of the Litter Pollution Acts 1997 to 2009 requires that a person in charge of a dog has to immediately remove dog faeces from a public place or face an on-the-spot litter fine of €150. The maximum court fine is €3,000.
The NCBI has launched its annual Clear Our Paths campaign aimed at creating a safer and cleaner environment on our streets for people who are blind or vision impaired to get around independently.
June Tinsley, NCBI Head of Advocacy and Communications said his campaign is aimed at informing and educating people on the impact that temporary obstacles and shared spaces have on people who have sight loss.
“Everyday obstacles such as cars parked on footpaths, dog fouling, overhanging branches, wheelie bins etc., can obstruct or injure someone who is blind or vision impaired as they try to navigate past safely. The NCBI are encouraging people to be mindful of these obstacles and remove them to ensure our footpaths are safe and clean.”
East Clare correspondent, Dan Danaher is a journalism graduate of Rathmines and UL. He has won numerous awards for special investigations on health, justice, environment, and reports on news, agriculture, disability, mental health and community.