COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
Monday, October 12, 2015
QUESTION NO.6
QUESTION: Councillor J. Lahart
To ask the Chief Executive to outline how much revenue has accrued to the Council from anti-dog litter fines?
REPLY:
Section 22 of the Litter Pollution Act 1997, as amended, (the Act) refers to dog related offences and requires that any person in charge of a dog shall immediately remove faeces that has been deposited by the dog and shall ensure that it is properly disposed of in a suitable sanitary manner.
Any person who contravenes this section of the Act shall be guilty of an offence and will be issued with a fixed penalty notice in the amount of €150. However, the Council experiences great difficulty in enforcing this section of the Act due to difficulty identifying the person in charge of the dog.
Residents groups and/or individuals are urged to assist the Council in this regard by providing witness statements to the Litter Warden and willingness to testify in court, so that the appropriate enforcement action can be taken in accordance with the Act.
The following table provides the number of fines issued and revenue collected in the period 2010 to 2014 inclusive:
| Year | No. issued | Amount due | Amount paid in full | Amount paid in part | Total amount paid | Total amount outstanding |
| 2010 | 2 | €300 | €150 | €150 | €150 | |
| 2011 | 1 | €150 | €150 | €150 | €0 | |
| 2012 | 4 | €600 | €150 | €50 | €200 | €400 |
| 2013 | 3 | €450 | €150 | €255 | €405 | €45 |
| 2014 | 3 | €450 | €300 | €300 | €150 | |
| €1950 | €900 | €305 | €1205 | €745 |
A number of successful initiatives have been undertaken to date and more are in examination / planned.
Dog fouling signage is erected in suitable and appropriate locations and a number of awareness campaigns regularly take place including the most recent as follows:
- Green Dog Walkers (GDW) information is provided to all dog owners at the time of renewal of dog licences.
- In June 2015, the Draft Litter Management Plan 2015 - 2019 was promoted, seeking submissions relating to all litter including dog fouling.
- In July 2015, an on line survery was promoted in an attempt to capture peoples attitude to litter, including dog fouling.
- On 12th August 2015, the GDW initiative was promoted in Corkagh Park, where a 'poo bag tree' was produced to highlight the bad behaviour of some dog owners who throw bags in trees and bushes and to promote responsible dog ownership.
- In September 2015, two events promoting the GDW initiative took place in Sean Walsh Park and Fettercairn Health Fair.
On 16 November 2015, a stand promoting the GDW initiative will be present at the Social Inclusion event, which is being held by the Community Section.
Following discussion at the recent Environment Public Realm and Climate Change SPC meeting a number of initiative for mitigation of dog fouling along the following lines are to be pursued which are expected to help raise awareness and further promote responsible dog ownership:
- A review is to be carried out of the GDW initiative in an attempt fo engage further with dog owners promoting responsible dog ownership.
- Pilot new approach to disposal of dog foul eg DCC initiatives
- Provision of biodegradable bags with renewal / new dog licenses
- enhanced communication and awareness programmes
- Student Entrepreneur project