Six fines issued for dog fouling offences in Cork in 17 months

Just six fines for dog-fouling offences were issued across Cork between January 2020 and the end of May 2021, The Echo can reveal.

Information obtained under the Freedom of Information Act revealed that Cork City Council did not issue any dog-fouling fines during the 17-month period.

Meanwhile, Cork County Council issued two dog-fouling fines in 2020 and four more in the first five months of 2021.

Difficulties in issuing fines 

In response to a query put to the city council, a spokesperson for the environment section said that the “difficulty in issuing fines for offences under Section 22 of the Litter Pollution Act 1997 is that the litter warden must actually witness both the dog depositing faeces and the person in control of the dog neglecting to remove the faeces”.

“The practicalities associated with this mean that it is almost impossible to issue fines for such offences,” added the spokesperson.

The council spokesperson said that, alternatively, a member of the public who witnesses a dog fouling offence can make a complaint to the litter warden or litter management section.

However, the spokesperson said that, in such a case, a fine can only be issued “if the complainant can provide the identity and address of the person who was in charge of the dog at the time, and if the complainant is prepared to go to court if necessary and give evidence”.

“The legal requirement for the complainant to go to court in such cases is a barrier for members of the public proceeding with their complaint as anonymity is often required by members of the public who report such instances,” added the spokesperson.

Litter fines 

Information obtained under the Freedom of Information Act also revealed that Cork County Council issued 206 litter fines in 2020 and 63 litter fines in the first five months of 2021.

Ninety of these fines remain outstanding while 179 have been paid.

While Cork City Council did not issue any dog fouling fines in 2020, it did dish out 1,180 litter fines during the year.

Some 1,005 of these fines related to dumping or littering. A total of 111 were for illegal signage, 49 were for “presentation” issues, and a handful were for dumping next to litter bins or “littered land”.

The council issued 549 litter fines in the first five months of 2021. The majority of these, 274, were issued for “presentation issues” and illegal signage, at 210.

The city council said that 610 of the fines issued in 2020 have been paid with €115,389 collected as a result.

Some 249 remain outstanding but all are “at various stages in the legal process”.

The council did not explain the status of the other 321 fines issued in 2020.

Of the fines issued in the first five months of this year, 52 have been paid, with €21,555 collected by the local authority, and 497 fines are outstanding.