Urinating fox in Taoiseach's department forces Leinster House to shut windows at night

An exterminator report said the fox "had urinated all over an office". File photo Sean Gallup/Getty Images

Leinster House was urged to keep the windows of its offices closed at night because of a rogue fox that had urinated in the neighbouring Department of the Taoiseach.

Exterminator reports said that foxes were coming to feed on food debris from skips in an area called the Fisheries Yard of the Oireachtas buildings. A “strong smell” of fox urine was noted at the site with advice given for the skips to be tightly closed off and for the area to be thoroughly washed down.

The inspection report said it was especially important that all windows would be kept shut in the evening as this “presented easy access for unwanted pests”. “A fox was noted in a neighbouring property [Government Buildings] only recently and urinated all over an office,” it said.

The report was one of dozens dealing with moth infestations, dead rats, fouling pigeons, and overgrown vegetation across the Leinster House complex and its surrounding buildings.

Details released under FOI reveal how the Oireachtas spent almost €65,000 on pest control services between January and mid-November of last year. Reports from March detail a flurry of activity around the Leinster House campus amid reports of the wandering fox and rats digging holes.

Rats

One call-out had happened after a dead rat was discovered in the car park with “heavy burrowing” reported in the area.

An inspection report said: “Dead rat was removed for disposal & rat burrow holes were also treated with rodenticide and rat burrow holes were thoroughly back-filled with soil and gravel to stop any non-target species gaining access to this area.” 

Later that month, exterminators also found what was described as “overgrown vegetation” in the courtyard of the Leinster House 2000 building. They said this was likely to be a magnet for unwanted wildlife and required immediate removal.

Leinster House’s long battle with infestations of moths also appears to be ongoing, according to the reports. The Oireachtas had early last year fitted new pheromone devices that trick moths into trying to mate with their own sex to stop them from reproducing.

Monitoring of the “exosex” devices had reported good results but a low level of moth activity and larvae were located in one five-storey office building. “Please ensure that all areas are thoroughly vacuumed and that hoover bags are replaced on a regular basis,” said the report.

Birds

Pigeon fouling was reported in a basement area of Leinster House in May, which a report said could pose a “health and safety risk”. It recommended high-level cleaning to remove any disease risk to staff working in the area with bird poop found on air handling units, cable trays, and walls.

A report from June noted yet more bird droppings, this time at the “minister’s entrance” with warnings of a “possible disease risk and safety hazard”.

In September, the carcass of a bird was reported in the Taoiseach’s department next to a female toilet. A report said: “Dead seagull was removed for disposal and no further action is required.” 

Pest controllers were also called out that month after a pigeon became trapped inside the coffee dock area of the Leinster House building. “All efforts have been made to encourage the bird to leave via the open windows,” said a report.

The following day, staff were able to catch and release the pigeon, with pest controllers recommending a thorough clean of the area. Later that month, mice were reported in the medical room and another office, according to the records that were released under FOI.

A spokeswoman for the Oireachtas said: “As the records show, we have a robust and extensive pest control system in place which is appropriate to the size, age and location of the Leinster House campus.”