Sir, - Perhaps you may be able to help with an ongoing problem in our area, which is getting worse - the amount of dog excrement on our footpaths and in our parks. From my own observations, some of the consequences of this problem are:
1. It is becoming impossible to bring children for walks because of the dog excrement, hence I find myself driving our children to and from school, adding to the already huge traffic problems. 2. Walking on Killiney beach, Killiney hill, Dun Laoghaire pier and other public areas is a nightmare. It is not enjoyable for a child to walk if they are constantly reminded to "watch out for dog pooh". They also cannot look at anything they may find interesting. 3. Visitors from abroad are amazed this situation seems to be accepted in this country. 4. The medical consequences of dog excrement have been highlighted in various media reports.
I have been in contact with local authority on this matter. They have "Poop Scoopers" available free and have tried to distribute them without much success, but it would appear that they are not being used by dog owners.
With regard to public parks: Marley Park, Rathfarnham, is a great example of a park which has been cleaned up. "Dog zones" are in use, whereby dogs are kept to a designated area.
As a solution; may I suggest that "dog pooh bins" be erected on lampposts which are County Council property, as they have been on Dun Laoghaire pier. Another suggestion would be; to do as they have done in The Netherlands, i.e. to provide sandpit type pitstops every few hundred yards, say at a lamppost or tree. These could then be cleaned out assuming the dogs are trained to go in them, as they are in The Netherlands, where it works!
Many dog owners do not appear to take on board their obligation to clean up after their pets. Nor do they seem to appreciate the consequences of not doing so. It is about time that this practise ceased and became socially unacceptable, just as smoking has. - Yours, etc.,
Fionnuala Keane, Glenageary Hall, Glenageary, Co. Dublin.