Vol. 501 No. 5
94 Mr. N. Ahern asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he will clarify the situation in relation to littering or dog fouling; the individuals who are enforcing the legislation in this regard; and the number of convictions and fines imposed in each of the years 1997 and 1998. [6570/99]
Section 22 of the Litter Pollution Act, 1997, makes it an offence for a person in charge of a dog, with limited exceptions, to fail to remove faeces deposited by the dog in a prescribed place. In such circumstances an on-the-spot fine notice may be issued by a dog warden or a member of the Garda Síochána. In regard to litter pollution generally and the imposition of fines, I refer to the replies to Question No. 151 of 3 December 1998 and Questions Nos. 162 and 163 of 10 February 1999. Local authority statistical returns to my Department do not identify the specific offences in respect of which on-the-spot fines were issued or prosecutions initiated.
