Blind or vision impaired community calls on dog owners to clean up and Clear Our Paths

Data gathered by NCBI as part of their Clear Our Paths campaign shows that just 82 dog fouling fines were handed out by local councils over the course of 2022.

Some incredible statistics were presented, for example in Tipperary Municipal Districts there were 452 fines issued for parking inappropriately while there were no fines at all issued for dog fouling. Similar figures presented across the country.

Information, provided by the local councils at the request of NCBI, showed that 18 councils from around the country handed out zero dog fouling fines over the course of last year. 

Kerry County Council had the highest number of fines with 27 and the council reported that there were two convictions related to those fines.

Dog fouling is a huge issue for people who are blind or vision impaired who use our footpaths daily. A recent NCBI survey showed that it was the third most frequent unexpected obstacle encountered by respondents.

Not only can dog fouling cause a slip hazard, but it can also be distressing for white cane users whose canes are often dirtied by faeces. Cars parked on footpaths emerged as the number one obstacle faced by respondents to the survey.

NCBI recently learned that over 19,000 fines were handed out in 2022 for issues around street and inappropriate parking. Three councils reported that they had not handed out any fines. Roscommon County Council said there are no traffic wardens in the county.

Parking inappropriately, especially on footpaths, causes a serious hazard for people who are blind or vision impaired. If a footpath is blocked, people with sight loss may be injured by walking into traffic to get around a vehicle, injured walking into the vehicle, or injured by stepping off kerbs in unfamiliar locations.

NCBI recognises local councils’ efforts and challenges to support clear paths in their communities and some councils provided information to them about positive steps they have taken to curb the dangers posed by dog fouling in particular.

Tipperary County Council said it ran an anti-dog fouling stencil campaign in two municipal districts with messaging around cleaning up after a dog and about fines.  As part of this campaign, NCBI has created a webpage to change behavior.

NCBI is asking people to start a positive conversation to encourage others to make sure our footpaths are clear and safe for everyone in our community. NCBI’s NCBI’s #ClearOurPaths campaign will run across social media, highlighting the different obstacles that are presented each day.

They encourage others to join them by sharing on their social media channels too. Together, we can all garner a greater understanding among the public about the needs of people with sight loss and how unexpected obstacles can impact their daily lives.