MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
Monday, July 13, 2015
QUESTION NO.22
QUESTION: Councillor F. Timmons
To ask the Cheif Executive to issue a report on about what can be done to prevent people letting there dogs poo and not picking it up. It is a county wide issue and what is being considered and how can the issue be progressed to a satisfactory conclusion.
REPLY:
Dog fouling is an offence under Section 22 of the Litter Pollution Act, 1997, as amended. Under this Act the person in charge of the dog is subject to a fine or prosecution if he/ she does not immediately remove any faeces deposited by their dog in certain places, and/ or if that person fails to ensure that their dog litter is properly disposed of in a suitable sanitary manner.
The difficulty with enforcement of this particular section of the Act is the requirement for witness testimony, to report that the offence happened and that an identified person is the person in charge of the dog.
The Council is engaged in a number of awareness campaigns aimed at the prevention and proper disposal of litter and dog fouling in particular. The Green Dog Walkers Initiative was established to address the issue of dog litter which includes awareness pop-up stands at events and leaflets which are available to schools, community centres and businesses to raise awareness of the importance of responsible dog ownership. The Enforcement and Licensing unit also issues leaflets on responsible dog ownership with dog license issued through the on-line service.
To further remind dog owners of their responsibilities, the Council piloted an initiative of anti dog fouling stencils in the Regional parks in 2011 and relaunched the Green Dog Walkers Initiative within the Dublin Region in Summer 2014. Since then c 450 dog litter signage has been ereceted within this county.
Dog fouling signs will continue to be erected based on a demonstrated need in areas prone to on-going dog littering, and subject to suitability of the location.
The Council’s draft Litter Management Plan commits to examining options for surveillance to reduce incidences of dog fouling. To this end, the Council has carried out extensive research to identify more effective methods of controlling dog littering and dumping in the County in general, which includes Programmable Audio Message Devices as a preventative solution.
It is proposed to trial these devices at a number of locations prone to dog littering in the coming months to establish effectiveness in reducing incidences before considering their use at further locations.
