First dog fouling fine in seven years issued in Cork city

Cork City Council has issued its first fine for dog fouling in seven years.

The local authority has been criticised in recent weeks for failing to prosecute those who repeatedly breach dog fouling legislation.

Blackpool councillor Kenneth O’Flynn hit out at the council for its approach to tackling dog fouling, suggesting that money has been wasted on awareness campaigns instead of focusing on enforcement of the littering laws.

He said he counted more than 100 samples of dog poop on a recent walk along a single city street.

A report issued to the council last night indicated that some €32,571 was spent on dog fouling awareness campaigns, including school art competitions, the provisions of dog poo bags and ads on the radio and in cinemas.

A further €20,000 has been allocated for the dog fouling subcommittee this year.

Mr O’Flynn queried whether this money could be better spent elsewhere, citing the huge prominence of dog faeces on some city streets.

“On a recent visit to Blarney Street, myself and a constituent physically counted 100 specimens of dog faeces,” he said.

“The visit was motivated by the fact that this particular constituent had slipped and fallen on dog faeces on the street.

“Do we really believe, at this stage, that the €32,000 spent has been well spent or could it have been put to better use?”

The Fianna Fáil representative said that bushes and trees throughout the city are littered with discarded dog poo bags, which are available for free from the local authority.

“I would question whether this money could be spent more wisely, such as on additional bins,” he added.

Dog fouling on the spot fine sign. Picture: Denis Minihane.

Information provided to the councillors by city officials noted that just one fine was issued over the period from 2010 to 2017.

This was handed out last Wednesday, March 8.

This is despite a significant increase in the number of dog licences being issued each year in Cork.

The figure has risen from 2,033 in 2010 to more than 3,000 in each of the years from 2012 to 2015.

Some 536 licences were issued in January and February of this year alone.

City officials defended the approach taken to dealing with the issue of dog waste.

A spokesperson for the council noted that the establishment of a dedicated dog fouling awareness campaign was undertaken on the back of a decision by elected members.

They also added that the addition of bins is no guarantee that people will use them, noting that education has proven more effective in this regard in the past.

This article first appeared in the Evening Echo