Colette Kelleher (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister. I am delighted to support the Bill and I thank and commend Senator Ardagh and her colleagues for bringing it forward. More needs to be done to prevent litter in our streets, parks and public spaces. A big reason I support the Bill is because of litter in the form of dog foul. I am particularly concerned about dog foul and the harmful effects it can have on our children. When my children were little, we lived in the middle of London where the park was everything. I remember taking my children to play in a beautiful park by the River Lee. I never seem to be very far away from a River Lee. The park was beautiful but a lot of dogs used the park and there was very little enforcement of good rules with regard to penalties for fouling. When children were playing in the park they were at serious risk. A Millward Brown study from 2013 showed that 40% of dog owners in Dublin admitted to not cleaning up after their pets and one in ten have never or rarely removed dog foul from the city streets. This has a potential serious consequence that should carry a serious fine, as is proposed by the Bill.

There is a particular worry about toxocariasis which is a serious illness caused by a parasite that lives in dogs' digestive systems. These parasites lay eggs which are released via the infected faeces. The eggs can remain active for a long time. If the eggs are ingested by a human they can hatch into larvae causing toxocariasis. Unsurprisingly it is most common in children aged one to four. Toddlers like to play in the grass; they put things in their mouths and on occasion refuse to wash their hands. There are three types of toxocariasis. Covert toxocariasis is the most common and mildest form. Symptoms include abdominal pain, a cough and a headache.The most serious is the one referred to by Senator Catherine Ardagh, ocular toxocariasis, which occurs when toxocara larvae migrate to the eye. Symptoms and signs include vision loss, eye inflammation and damage to the retina which can be long-lasting.

Visceral toxocariasis occurs when the larvae migrate to various body organs such as the liver or central nervous system. Symptoms include fever, fatigue, coughing, wheezing and abdominal pain.

Litter and dog foul, in particular, can give rise to serious health issues, especially for children. The best way to prevent these problems is to ensure dog owners clean up after their dogs straightaway. To that end, we must make sure there are adequate penalties and deterrents in place. We also need bins. I was reminded by some people from Cork that there were no dog litter bins in Tank Field, for example. We also need poop scoops and doggy bags to be more readily available in newsagents and elsewhere. I agree with Senator John O'Mahony that all of the penalties in the world will not act as a deterrent if we do not enforce the laws in place.

Dog fouling is a significant health issue, especially for children playing. We must remember that play is not just an optional extra but essential for childrens' growth and development. Children are increasingly living in urban rather than rural environments and if we want them to be able to play safely without these unnecessary health risks, we need to deal with the issue of litter, dog litter in particular. The Bill will go some way towards encouraging dog owners to clean up after their pets, which is why I will be supporting it. I hope other Members will support it, too.