Kieran O'Donnell (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister. I see considerable merit in the general thrust of the Litter Pollution (Amendment) Bill 2017 and wish to make a number of observations on it. This is an issue that has been coming up a lot. Anyone who has canvassed in recent years will have noticed the increase in the number of dogs generally. More and more people have pets nowadays. The increase in the past five years, in particular, has been significant and has given rise to the problem of people not picking up litter after their dogs foul outdoors. The solution is a combination of education and enforcement. It does not matter what fines we introduce - if they are not enforceable, they will have no consequences. The existing law needs to be enforced. The lack of enforcement is unfair on those who are abiding by the law and bring plastic bags with them to pick up the litter. In some areas it is a major problem, with dog excrement on footpaths and so forth.

It would be interesting to look at the number of dog licences issued this year in comparison to previous years. What needs to be done in that regard? Most dogs are kept indoors and when taken for a walk, they are invariably on a leash. In that sense, there is no reason owners cannot clean up after their dogs foul outdoors. In Limerick we have a problem with illegal dumping, which is an absolute blight on the landscape. We recently had the Total Limerick Cleanup, TLC, a concept that originated with J. P. McManus, Paul O'Connell, Helen O'Donnell and others and which has been hugely beneficial. However, I visited an area last week that had been cleaned on TLC day and it was as bad as ever. Those who dump illegally believe they will not be caught. In that context, there are inconsistencies between the various local authorities. Some are great at dealing with this issue, while others are very poor. Why is that the case? This is a nationwide problem. People will speak about a lack of resources, but if that was the only problem, there would be a consistency in the way problems were addressed. The inconsistencies come down to management, as well as funding. We must benchmark the local authorities in a range of areas, litter being one.

We need to turn this issue on its head. We should introduce something that is anti-litter, while at the same time introducing something positive such as encouraging those living in villages to plant flowers. We must reward people when they try to keep their areas looking well, but the same time, if they do not do so, we must impose severe penalties. People believe they will not be caught if they dump illegally. At the same time, there are no rewards for them to do something that their neighbours are not doing. We need to look at this issue in the context of rural rejuvenation. We must encourage people in order that it will become a positive and people living in a town or city will not litter because their neighbours will tell them that it is not on. We should be rewarding the person who is abiding by the law and not allowing the person who is not law-abiding to think he or she can get away with it.

There has been a huge escalation in the number of dogs being kept as pets. It is amazing. In practically every house to which one calls there is a dog. I am a dog owner and have been for many years. Dogs are man's best friend and hugely important, particularly for older people. They provide company, security and can improve peoples' health. However, we must make sure there are proper dog litter controls in place. The issue of illegal dumping is clearly one of enforcement. It is also an issue of resources in terms of local authorities ensuring housing estates, footpaths and so forth are swept. Often local representatives will contact the local authority to ask, as a favour, that an area be swept, but that sweeping should be done as a matter of course. We also need to consider rewarding people who are proactive. The TLC campaign was a phenomenal success and should be replicated nationwide. I encourage Members to visit Limerick to see what is happening there. I support the general thrust of what has been proposed.