Dog owners who allow their animals to foul Dublin city streets will risk having their offences captured on CCTV and their names published in national papers as part of a new multi-million euro anti-litter operation by Dublin City Council.
A specialised squad of litter enforcement officers known as the "blitz team" will be delegated to monitor "known dog-fouling areas" every two months, while areas with the highest level of offences will be "targeted using covert means for identification and ultimate prosecution" on a continuous basis.
The operation is part of the council's Litter Management Plan 2008-2011, which includes investment in a network of CCTV cameras located at litter blackspots around the city, blitz teams supported by gardaí and the "maximum use" of the council's enforcement powers to crack down on litter louts.
The strategy, which has been assigned €37 million investment in its first year, has been developed to reduce the 25,000 tonnes of litter which are removed from Dublin streets every year.
The new teams are part of a street-cleaning staff of more than 550. They will comprise four to five litter wardens, backed up by gardaí on patrol, and are designed to deter littering and to ensure active enforcement - including issuing on-the-spot fines.
The council is stepping up its enforcement programme with an increased use of new technology, including satellite systems to map litter blackspots and the use of CCTV surveillance and covert cameras to capture incidents of fly tipping and other illegal littering.
The prosecution of offenders who litter laneways is to be a particular target of the new CCTV system, according to the strategy.
"Known problem laneways will be targeted in conjunction with intelligence provided by the area-based emergency response clean-up crews and complaints by members of the public."
Events promoters will have to agree a litter-management plan in advance and any litter which has to be removed will be at the expense of the promoters.
