COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF RATHFARNHAM AREA COMMITTEE

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

MOTION NO. 14

MOTION: Councillor A.M. Dermody

"That the Manager provide details of the number of dog fouling bins in the Rathfarnham ward. Please also confirm the number of dog licences issued in the ward. That the Manager provide this Committee with details of the cost of individual bins and whether or not there is a provision in any Department’s budget for the inclusion of extra bins going forward.  Is it possible to micro-chip such bins to allow for efficient emptying of such bins?  I would ask that as part of the Tidy-Towns Initiative currently underway within the County that there be provision made for extra bins to adequately cater for dog deposits.  Currently what you have are law-abiding citizens collecting their dog poop in plastic (biodegradable) bags and some of those same citizens being forced to dump their dog’s deposit  in the bushes of our parks and streets because of the inadequacy of  bins.  I would ask that Management from across all department including Parks, Roads & Environmental Services to provide a joined up approach to this issue, assuming of course that such an approach does not already exist."

REPORT:

The Council's Environmental Services Department has responsibility for the provision of litter collection and disposal throughout the county. Disposal facilities are provided through the network of 600 on street and 67 park litter bins that are in place. The Council has considered the provision of the suggested "dog fouling bins" however these bins are not considered an efficient means of collecting litter when the material can be disposed of through the normal litter bins along with other litter types. Any locations that pose particular difficulties in relation to any types of litter should be referred to the Environment Department for assessment for additional bins.

In addition to disposal and collection of litter materials, the Council is engaged in a number of awareness campaigns aimed at the prevention and proper disposal of litter and dog-fouling in particular. This is in line with the overall aim of the Litter Management Plan which is to make South Dublin County a litter free County with the support, co-operation and involvement of the local authority, businesses, communities and individuals.

The Responsible Dog Ownership Programme

The Responsible Dog Ownership programme has been established by the Council to address the issue of dog fouling.

The Responsible Dog Ownership programme includes

· pop-up stand

· Poop Scoops

· Leaflets

These are available on loan to schools, community centres, businesses and other venues to display. The pop-up stand is aimed at the general public and will raise awareness about the importance of being a responsible dog owner and has lots of useful information on how to be a better dog owner including: Dog Fouling, Noise Pollution, Dog Licences, Identification of Dogs, Dog Control, Stray Dogs, Unwanted Dogs, Rehoming a Dog , South Dublin County Council Dog Pound.

All this information is available on www.sdcc.ie . Click here to see images of the Dog Ownership pop-up, Leaflets and Poop Scoops.

Anti Dog Fouling Stencil programme

In 20ll a programme was anti-dog fouling stencilling was applied to all Regional Parks throughout the County. This initiative was welcomed by members of the public. The programme is to be extended in the spring 20l3 to neighbourhood and local parks. Purpose of the stencilling programme is to highlight the issue of dog fouling and focus on dog owner responsibility.

In addition a Green Dog Walking campaign will be launched in late March to highlight the issue of dog fouling and responsible dog ownership. This is a community focused initiative and will be rolled out through the Social Credits system.