COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

South Dublin County Council Crest

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, November 10, 2014

QUESTION NO.16

QUESTION: Councillor L. O'Toole

Could the Chief Executive consider installing dog litter bins and dog litter bags, as per the type used by Fingal County Council in St. Catherines Park adjacent to Lucan, in our parks?

REPLY:

Every bin provided by the Council, whether on street or in a public park is available for the disposal of light litter including dog waste. It is not Council policy to provide separate bins for separate types of waste. Under Section 22 of the Litter Pollution Act 1997, where faeces has been deposited by a dog in any place to which the section applies, the person in charge of the dog shall immediately remove the faeces and shall ensure that it is properly disposed of in a suitable sanitary manner. While the Council does not provide bags directly to the public to clean up after their dog, the Council participates in the Green Dog Walker Programme.

The Green Dog Walkers programme was launched in 2013. Green Dog Walkers (GDW) is a regional programme involving South Dublin County Council, Dun Laoghaire- Rathdown County Council, Fingal County Council, Meath County Council and Wicklow County Council.  The Green Dog Walkers programme is a non-confrontational, friendly way to change people's attitudes about dog fouling.  It is a community based scheme where volunteers in the community can adopt and promote in their own area.  Members of the public can apply through Social Credits at www.socialcredits.ie

Volunteers who become Green Dog Walkers are provided with an armband and bone shaped dog dispenser and commit to the following:

Since the launch of the scheme in 2013, over five hundred and sixty people have signed up to become Green Dog Walkers in South Dublin County.