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A SENATOR HAS launched a tirade against dog walkers who she said are responsible for a “phenomenal” amount of dog faeces in Irish villages.
Former Minister Regina Doherty made her comments during a speech today in which she criticised people for hanging bags of dog droppings on bushes.
Doherty also said she was in shock to hear that there were 800,000 dogs in the country but just 217,000 dog licences.
“This is, and it’s particularly kind of topical in conversation for the last maybe 12 months because we all are walking around our villages, because we bloody well have nothing else to do, but the amount of poo in this country is absolutely phenomenal,” she said.
“I think we all know why like. I’ve been around my house every time we bring the dog for a walk, (saying) ‘no you are on the bag today’ because we all hate carrying the bags but if there were bloody bins in our villages then you wouldn’t have to carry the bag, the whole way.
“That would stop people, hiding them in hedges and hanging them on bushes, because it never ceases to amaze me the idiocy of people who do that, but it can only be because people don’t want to carry them the five kilometres around their village,” she added.
Doherty called for an awareness campaign but added that it would be “very valuable” to place bins in villages, walkways and greenways.
“To be forward-thinking when we’re actually providing new routes for people and planning routes around our own villages, or whatever, to make sure that we have the facilities there for people to just dispose of, what obviously comes naturally to our dog, when we bring them into our houses,” added the senator.
Doherty finished her view with “sorry for that rant”. She also raised concerns about dogs attacking sheep on farmland.
She said she would raise the issue with the relevant Minister.
“Most people in our towns and villages don’t realise the impacts of when your dog runs out of your house,” she added.
Our colleagues at Noteworthy want to find out what is being done to tackle dog faeces littering our streets and parks. Support this project here.
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A good & timely article. Unfortunately, we will never make progress as long as the deterrent, the sanction, is so miniscule as to be irrelevant. This is not even the fault of the judiciary as their hands are tied in that the maximum permitted ‘punishment’ for wildlife/ environmental crimes is so inconsequential. The stautes/legislation needs to be amended & updated as a matter of urgency
I agree we need enforcement of laws and bigger penalties but a greater emphasis needs to be on incentives for Farmers and landowners to steward the land in an environmentally sensitive way. It will also take some reeducation after decades of encouraging farmers to do exactly the opposite!
@Emma Smith: Morning Emma, ‘cart before the horse’ though isn’t it? Proper enforcement AND serious sanctions need to be front& centre
So it’s the farmers’ fault – and it often is.
But no mention of the Mourne mountain fire, started by an arsonist. Or the Killarney fire, started by a portable barbacue – not a typical farmers item.
Ireland has less than 2% native forests. The rest are non native evergreens. It would be nice to replace them with native trees.
@Shane Gallagher: Why? They won’t produce lumber to build your home or make paper.
@Hunt Ley: Evergreen forests in Ireland are not grown to be used for construction or producing paper. We import those products. The main intended purpose for evergreen forests was to offset carbon dioxide emissions. The government provides grants to landowners willing to use their land for forestry.
OK. If a fire begins naturally, say from lightening, should we as humans, interfere and put that fire out or allow it to burn uncontrollably?
@AnthonyK: Humans planted forests and built houses and would naturally protect them.
@AnthonyK: Before we were brainwashed into thinking that paradise is somewhere else we used to worship nature and the natural world. Real shame those belief systems were not allowed to evolve really, we would certainly be more involved with maintaining and utilising the planet, we’re so far from anything like that tho, addicted to the effects of another human construct, that of wealth.
Pádraic, do us one on why we should be re introducting the Beaver, a move that would do more for the restoration of our natural state than any other. “Oh but they were never here” – bollocks.!
@Nicholas Grubb: But sure they weren’t.
What a load of absolute nonsense article
Where is my comment that was posted hours ago? Just because it disagrees with Fogarty’s anti forestry distribution is no reason to remove it.
Fogarty is neither a forester nor a silviculutist. Just because he limes trees foes not make him an authority.
Shame on the Journal for partisan censorship.
@Hunt Ley: What do you expect its like China for the propaganda on the journal.
Maybe an approach of eco tourism in areas the farmers get tax free earnings from cycling, walking, wildlife photography individuals or groups bed and breakfast for the particular months mentioned not to cut or till the land would maybe help nature. Any damage to the local area by farmers or county council will result in fines or cut back in county council amount of money given by central government. Farmers any EU funding also cut as a deterrent.
have your say