Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 April 2015
754. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of fines for dog fouling that were issued by Waterford County Council, Waterford City Council and Waterford City and County Council for each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13875/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Litter Pollution Acts 1997 to 2009 provide the statutory framework to combat littering and include provisions relating to dog fouling. Under the Acts, the primary management and enforcement response to littering (including dog fouling) is a matter for local authorities. It is a matter for each local authority to determine the most appropriate course of action to tackle litter pollution locally within the legislation provided, including the most appropriate public awareness, enforcement and clean-up actions in relation to litter and dog fouling, taking account of its own local circumstances and priorities. Section 16 of the Control of Dogs Acts, 1986 and 1992 sets out the powers of dog wardens. In addition, section 28 of the Litter Pollution Acts provides that a dog warden, within the meaning of the Control of Dogs Act 1986, may issue a notice or on-the-spot fine to an individual believed of committing a prescribed offence under the Act.
While my Department does not collate statistics on the number of fines issued by local authorities in relation to specific offences, such as dog fouling offences, data is available under the local authority service indicators report on the number of fines issued generally, along with the number of prosecutions and convictions, under the Litter Pollution Acts. The 2013 local authority service indicators report, together with previous years’ reports, is available at the following link: http://www.lgma.ie/en/serviceindicators/2004to2013.
I believe that there are sufficient penalties in place to deal with the issue of dog fouling when enforced under the Litter Pollution Acts. Raising awareness of the litter problem and educating our young people are key to effecting a long-term change in society’s attitudes towards litter disposal but, ultimately, it is the responsibility of each individual to ensure that they play their part in preserving the environment for others through the responsible disposal of their litter, including in relation to dog fouling.
