A local authority that failed to issue any fines for dog fouling over a five-year period has claimed it is \u201cimpossible to catch anyone not picking up\u201d after their pet. <\/p>\n
The comment came from Cavan County Council<\/a>, which was among six councils that issued no dog fouling fines between 2021 and last year. <\/p>\n The Kilkenny, Tipperary, Carlow, Leitrim and Cork City local authorities also issued no such fines, records released to The Irish Times under the Freedom of Information Act show.<\/p>\n The highest number of fines (76) was issued by Kerry County Council, meaning an annual average of just 15 over the period. <\/p>\n Fines for failing to clean up after a dog, and littering in general, have stood at \u20ac150 for almost 20 years, but they are due to rise to \u20ac250 from September 1st<\/a>.<\/p>\n [\u00a0Dog faeces the most \u2018potent\u2019 polluter of Dublin\u2019s coastal bathing waterOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n The Department of the Environment<\/a> says dog fouling \u201ccontinues to be an issue in many areas and continued awareness and education remain important\u201d. A spokeswoman said the department understands that dog fouling has a range of environmental, public health and amenity impacts.<\/p>\n Cavan County Council put its failure to issue any fines down to it being \u201cimpossible to catch anyone not picking up fouling\u201d. It said wardens patrol areas where dog fouling is \u201ccommonplace\u201d from 7am, \u201cand still haven\u2019t been able to issue a fine\u201d. <\/p>\n Cork City Council<\/a> said its wardens have undertaken overtime on weekends, while out of uniform, and focused on dog walking areas \u201cto catch culprits\u201d. However, it said fouling fines are the most difficult to issue, as this requires \u201cbeing close enough to observe the owner not cleaning up\u201d after their dog.<\/p>\n Longford County Council<\/a> said it does not maintain separate records for dog fouling fines, with the offences recorded under general litter penalties. However, it said its litter wardens confirmed that no dog fouling fines were issued last year \u201cto the best of their knowledge\u201d.<\/p>\n Kerry County Council issued 12 fines last year, up from just two in 2024. It issued its highest number (27) in 2022.<\/p>\n At 42, Cork County Council<\/a> issued the second highest number of fines in the five-year period. Fingal County Council was next with 31, Kildare County Council had 20 and Louth County Council 18.<\/p>\n [\u00a0Diarmaid Ferriter: Shaming is needed to stop dog fouling in public Opens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n Kildare County Council<\/a> fined 10 people in 2021, saying the Covid-19 pandemic had an impact on the numbers, as more people were at home working and out walking dogs. It also said community wardens, who carry out \u201cregular litter patrols\u201d, can find it \u201cdifficult to witness an offence directly and to formally identify the person responsible in order to issue a fine\u201d.<\/p>\n Enforcement often depends on information from members of the public, who may need to provide evidence, and the council said \u201cwhere a complainant is willing to provide evidence identifying the offender, the council can take action\u201d.<\/p>\n Twelve local authorities issued five fines or fewer across the five-year period, with councils in Donegal, Monaghan, Wexford, Westmeath, Mayo and Meath issuing just one each.<\/p>\n