Dog litter bag dispensers suggestion shut down by Kildare County Council

A proposal relating to the further provision of dog litter bag dispensers in North Kildare has been shot down by Kildare County Council.

The idea was put forward at the latest Clane-Maynooth Municipal District (MD) meeting, which took place on Friday, November 7 last, by Social Democrats Cllr Peter Melrose.

At this meeting, he motioned for Kildare County Council (KCC) to consider "a pilot project of installing mountable dog waste bag dispensers and a quarterly refill of bags at selected public bin locations in Maynooth and Kilcock".

His motion was supported by Fianna Fáil Cllr Donna Phelan. 

In response to Cllr Melrose's suggestion, KCC issued a lengthy report at the meeting.

Social Democrats Cllr Peter Melrose. Photograph credit: kildarecoco.ie

READ NEXT: Kildare County Council asked to outline its strategy for public artwork in this MD

KCC told him that it is the dog owner's responsibility to pick up their dog's waste and dispose of it in a proper manner.

However, KCC also said that it does not provide separate dog waste bins or bag dispensers.

KCC elaborated: "Having consulted with other departments (Transportation / MD Office, Community and Parks), the council does not have the resources to provide and maintain / refill dispensers.

"Doing so would also conflict with the council’s approach that 'Any bag, any bin' is the message which the dog owner needs to remember, i.e. to bring a suitable bag before setting out on his/her walk, and to either place it in the nearest street litter bin or take it home for disposal.

"Alternatives to dog litter bags are cheap and widely available; dog owners may choose to use nappy sacks, reused plastic bags, paper bags or something similar — basically, any bag will do as long as owners pick up their dog’s waste.

"If you own a dog and your dog does its business on our streets or public open spaces, then it is your responsibility to pick it up and bin it.

"Most dog owners already clean up after their dogs, but not all do so."

KCC concluded: "Everyone needs to have respect for their local community and neighbourhood; there is no excuse for leaving dog waste on a path, road, trail or in a hedgerow."

READ NEXT: Free ‘Comic Picnic’ for adults coming soon to well-known Kildare venue

'FLAWED LOGIC'

However, Cllr Melrose disagreed with KCC's answer, calling it "flawed logic".

He also accused KCC's answer of "lacking empathy and creativity".

Cllr Melrose said that it is often the case that people innocently forget to bring dog litter bags, especially those with a diagnosis of ADHD, which Cllr Melrose said he himself has been diagnosed with.

He suggested that KCC could implement an online map showing the nearest dog litter dispensers to owners, which is a measure that is already being implemented by Tipperary Council Council (TCC).

"We can't just shut our eyes and ears to this issue," he added.

Independent Cllr Pádraig McEvoy then gave his view on the matter: There are also a lot of people who take litter bags but don't dispose of them properly... and yes, people do sometimes forget to bring them, but you have to learn from it."

Cllr Phelan told KCC that she welcomed Cllr Melrose's idea and commended him for "offering a solution" to them.

'A LEARNING CURVE'

The Mayor of the MD, Fine Gael Cllr Brendan Wyse, also weighed in with his thoughts.

He agreed with Cllr McEvoy's comments about there being "a learning curve" but was critical of the map provided by TCC, noting that the locations listed were very distant and "sparse".

Mayor Wyse's party colleague, Cllr Tim Durkan, also told KCC that he was "in two minds" about the issue, and claimed that he had seen dog litter bags hanging in trees by irresponsible dog owners.

"I do think the responsibility is ultimately on the owner, especially as dogs are members of the family," he added.

A KCC representative who was present at the meeting told Cllr Melrose that while the council "hears" his suggestion, KCC nevertheless echoed Cllr Durkan's sentiment that it was ultimately the responsibility of the dog owner to properly dispose of the bags.

They also agreed with Cllr Wyse's view of the "sparse" dispenser locations.

In addition, they highlighted KCC's "any bag, any bin" policy.

The representative then suggested Cllr Melrose to get in touch with KCC's Environment Awareness Officer.

Cllr Melrose doubled down on his stance and told KCC that he was "just overall disappointed" in its stance.

READ NEXT: Nine people on trolleys at Kildare's main hospital today

SIMILAR MOTION

Following Cllr Melrose's motion, Cllr Phelan asked KCC if it could provide 'Pick Up After Your Dog' signage to all estates within the MD that have been taken in charge.

According to her, doing so would "help promote responsible pet ownership and maintain cleaner public spaces".

In response, KCC told her via the report it presented at the meeting: "Signage is available to local community groups, including resident’s associations, on request.

"Over 220 signs were provided in the last twelve months and litter pickers and bags are also available.

"Some footpath stencilling around Dog Fouling awareness was carried out in Clane this year."

KCC added: "We are favourable to consider other sites in the MD; if the members have any preferred locations, they might forward any details directly to the council’s Environment Awareness Officer."

Fianna Fáil Cllr Donna Phelan. Photograph credit: fiannafail.ie

READ NEXT: Kildare County Council quizzed over measures to improve walking and cycling in this region

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.