Council urged to erect signs about dangerous ticks on Tipperary hill and forest walks

Tipperary County Council was urged by councillors this week to erect signs warning about ticks in areas popular with walkers in the county where they are known to be present due to the danger of contracting the debilitating Lyme disease from their bites.

The calls were issued at Tipperary County Council’s monthly meeting in Clonmel on Monday and Council management agreed to look into the proposal.

Independent Cllr Andy Moloney raised the issue at the meeting, pointing out that a lot of councillors have been contacted by constituents about the need to put up signs warning of the dangers of contracting Lyme disease while walking on the hills.

The Poulmucka councillor said ticks were present on a lot of sheep and they were getting onto dogs while they are being walked by their owners. He appealed to Council management to press ahead and erect signs now in the hills and forestry tracks and trails and not wait until a motion seeking this warning measure to be tabled and passed at a council meeting.

This safety measures is a priority, he said warning that ticks and Lyme Disease are apparently “rampant” at the moment.

Mayor of Clonmel Cllr Pat English of the Workers & Unemployment Action Group supported Cllr Moloney’s appeal. He pointed out that a number of councils throughout the country have this warning signage erected, particularly in areas where people walk dogs and cycle.

“This is a health issue and some people and animals get very sick from Lyme disease,” he said.

Another Clonmel Cllr Richie Molloy also supported the warning signage and revealed that he and Cllr Roger Kennedy had planned to table a motion seeking their erection in areas where at the Council’s May meeting.

Fine Gael Cllr Marie Murphy from Clogheen, however, pointed out that Coillte doesn’t erect this warning signage about ticks and Lyme Disease in its forests because it’s afraid they will leave the State-owned forestry body open to a legal case being taken against it if someone gets bitten by a tick on its land.

She agreed something definitely needs to be done to highlight to the public the dangers of ticks but she wasn’t sure how best to do that.

The Council’s Director of Environment & Climate Action Services Eamon Lonergan said he spoke with the Council’s Roads Director Liam Brett about the issue and what the Council can do to highlight the danger.

He stressed the Council accepted it has some role to play but he was concerned about what Cllr Murphy said about liability in putting up signage. He promised to check into the matter.

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