Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
Updated 7.40am, 3 April
DUBLIN NORTH EAST TD Sean Kenny used a parliamentary question to ask the Minister for the Environment whether the government is planning legislation to deal with dogs barking for prolonged periods in residential areas “particularly at night time”.
Submitting the question to Alan Kelly, the deputy noted how “annoying and upsetting” it was for a person “to have to listen to a dog in distress for prolonged periods of time”.
Speaking to TheJournal.ie, Kenny said one constituent had come to him with a particular problem in recent weeks.
“The person was quite stressed over it,” he said.
In his response, the Minister said that under the Control of Dogs Act, the local District Court could act on complaints by people unhappy at nuisance noise being made by barking dogs.
He added that “the position in relation to noise nuisance generally is that a person experiencing noise nuisance may contact their local authority, which may initiate proceedings on grounds of noise nuisance under the Environmental Protection Agency Act 1992″.
This Act also provides for any person, or group of persons, to seek an order in the District Court to have noise giving reasonable cause for annoyance abated.
People can take such cases without the need for legal representation, Kelly said.
Kelly noted that the Programme for Government agreed between Fine Gael and Labour in 2011 includes a commitment to consider the introduction of on-the-spot fines for noise pollution.
“The development of new noise legislation by my Department is being considered in the context of this commitment,” he said – adding that it wasn’t possible to say then such a Bill might be published, due to other priorities.
Kenny said that he was aware of the Programme for Government commitment, adding that it was clear the option of pursuing a dog-owner through the courts system “wasn’t appealing” for many people.
He said he would continue to pursue the matter with the Minister.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Was in an elephant reserve in botswana 12 mths ago. Ranger there told me there was at least 10 bodies of poachers on their reserve. No questions asked your caught poaching its a bullet in the head. Different world.
Its ironic like those pro lifers headbangers here who threatened to kill the ministers.
Great to see this, poverty is one of the biggest contributors to poaching in Africa. People flock to these reserves in hopes they have work going for them and then ultimately people with knowledge of the area can put those skills to use to kill these animals and sell their meat/tusks or whatever, valued at nearly €15 billion a year trade in illegal game. Overseas buyers can be a big contributor to these practises as their is demand for their “medicinal” effects, see asian market for Rhino horn erectile dysfunction hollistic cure.
Nearly an estimated 100,000 Elephants were killed last year, that’s almost 3000 elephants a day, if rangers and parks (which ultimately need much more funding to preserve these species) can turn the local hunters into rangers themselves they can cut the legs off the illegal trade to stop their supply chain
Such a beautiful animal love to see them one day.
have your say