Call For Plan To Address Dog Fouling And Illegal Dumping At Local Amenities

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The dog foul dispenser on the canal walkway.

THE long-running issue of dog fouling was brought up again by councillors at Monday’s online meeting of the Tralee Municipal District of Kerry County Council.

Mayor Of Tralee Cllr. Terry O’Brien asked if the Council could they confirm how many successful prosecutions for dog fouling have taken place?

He said what was going on around town was absolutely criminal and a bit of respect and social responsibility was needed by some dog owners.

Council management informed him that 15 fines have been issued for incidences of dog fouling over the past number of years, however, no prosecutions have taken place.

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He was told a successful prosecution for dog fouling is very difficult to achieve when all factors are taken into consideration.

Meanwhile, Fianna Fáil Cllr Mikey Sheehy, in a separate motion, asked the Council to formulate a plan to maintain existing and planned greenways in the MD to the highest standard by scheduling maintenance and by also engaging with local community groups and companies to facilitate timely clean ups.

He said dog fouling and the dumping of rubbish are issues which have been to the fore in this chamber recently and immediate action is required by this MD in terms of maintenance, engagement, enforcement and education.

Cllr Sheehy said it was also an issue of personal responsibility and there was a great level of frustration in the public with regard to dog fouling and illegal dumping.

With regard to both issues, Council management said it is incumbent upon members of the public to respect these amenities and manage their own waste in a responsible manner.

Where bins are full or indeed not immediately available, litter should be retained until a suitable facility is available.

Tralee MD’s Roads Enforcement Officers have recently increased their presence along these amenities with a view to raising awareness of these issues and identifying and investigating any occurrences of indiscriminate dumping.

Tralee MD is currently in the process of preparing its litter management strategy for the Tralee to Fenit Greenway.