COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF TALLAGHT AREA COMMITTEE
Monday, November 23, 2020
QUESTION NO.4
QUESTION: Councillor M. Duff
"Could the Chief Executive indicate if the Environmental Health Officer can access private residences, where the owners are not in fulltime occupation of said residences, but due to the neglected and overgrown situation of the gardens, are breeding grounds for rodents, which are causing serious health risks to residents of adjoining properties?"
REPLY:
The legislation covering the treatment and extermination of rodents being caused by an unkempt/overgrown garden or space, is the Rats and Mice (Destruction) Act 1919.
It is legislation that was transferred over to the Health Boards under the Health Act 1970, when the 8 original Health Boards came into existence. Under this legislation powers of entry are given to Environmental Health Officers as authorised officers to carry out inspections.
Inspections of front gardens is usually simple enough to perform being largely visible from the public road.
Rear gardens are normally more problematic when access to the house is not forthcoming.
In these situations, inspections of rear gardens are normally achieved from the first floor of an adjoining or a nearby house.
Rear gardens are normally more likely to be an issue than front gardens because :
- they are often much larger in size,
- they do now have a large concreted space,
- and people do not have free access to walk into them, such as postmen etc.
Where information on landlord is known, we write to him/her/they requesting clearance of the garden.
Generally, we find that this official action generates a response and the matter gets attended to, but usually it takes concerted contacts by Env Health personnel.
If the owner is not residing at the property and the property is vacant it may be necessary to do a land registry search to obtain an alternative address for the owner. This has being done many times with success.
If there is a specific house requiring attention for rodent infestation, the address can be directed to Environmental Health for immediate follow up to abate the nuisance .