Dog fouling is ‘a growing problem’ in Tipperary's largest town

Clonmel should lead on a litter management plan so that it would be one of the leading litter-free and dog fouling-free towns in the county, Cllr Michael Murphy has stated.

Cllr Murphy has called on Clonmel Borough District to instal more dog fouling bins throughout the district, especially in those areas and on routes that were popular with dog walkers.

A report from District Engineer Roger Noonan that was presented to a recent meeting of the Borough District stated that he would liaise with the other districts and the environment section of Tipperary County Council on this issue, as it was important that any actions and policies applied were consistent across the county.

“It is important to note that the management of dog fouling bins has financial implications.

"In the meantime, the District Engineer has liaised with the environment section and agreed with them that a publicity campaign should be rolled out this year to raise dog fouling awareness,” the report added.

However, Cllr Murphy said he was concerned that they were engaging with other districts at county level.

“Let’s lead on this,” he stated.

If a litter management plan for Clonmel that would take dog fouling into account was drawn up, they could engage with other stakeholders, such as the Tidy Towns organisation.

Dog fouling was a growing problem in and around Clonmel and dog owners needed to be encouraged to pick up dog litter, added Cllr Murphy.

Supporting Cllr Murphy’s request for more bins, Cllr Siobhán Ambrose said that at least one dog fouling bin had to be removed because people were putting household waste into it. They should look at providing smaller bins so that people couldn’t do that.

Dog litter could also be dumped in household bins.

She said the stencils drawn on footpaths should include a notice that there was a fine of €250 for dog fouling. The stencils had been quite effective the last time they were placed on paths.

District Mayor Pat English said that additional bins for dog fouling should be provided on the bypass, and they should finance these in the district.